Officers of the Policía Nacional have dismantled a criminal organisation based in the province of Málaga, dedicated to the indoor cultivation of cannabis, and have arrested two of its members as suspected perpetrators of drug trafficking offences, membership of a criminal group and fraudulent use of electricity.
They had a warehouse in Manilva that they had fitted out for indoor cultivation. The members, who are related to one another and live in Torremolinos and Fuengirola, had set up the drug plantation far from their homes in order to hinder the police investigation.
The police operation led to the arrest of two of its members, with two searches carried out in which 985 cannabis plants, three vehicles, 670 euros and documents of interest to the investigation were seized.
The investigation, carried out by officers of the Organised Crime Group of the Fuengirola Local Police Station, focused on the possible existence of a criminal organisation, based in Fuengirola, which offered its services as growers and distributors of cannabis.
First, they tried to locate the warehouse where the illegal activity was believed to be taking place. After several enquiries they were able to find it, located quite far from the suspects’ homes. Everything suggests that the reason for keeping it away from their homes was to hinder the investigation and the link between them and the criminal activity.
They also established that at least three people visited the site, who were believed to be in charge of looking after and maintaining the plantation and then preparing the drug shipments. In addition, consignments were prepared in this warehouse for the Netherlands, where the network had branches responsible for selling the drug, thus multiplying its profits.
The operational phase took the form of a search carried out a few days ago, when enquiries showed that the suspects were preparing a shipment of cannabis.
During the search of the warehouse, officers found that the suspects had altered its structure, opening up a cavity down towards the foundations where they had built a sophisticated indoor grow. A total of 985 cannabis plants were seized. The electrical installation supplying the plantation was illegally connected to the public electricity supply network.
Operation Fortaleza has ended with the dismantling of this criminal group, with two of its members arrested and two searches carried out in which 985 cannabis plants, three vehicles, 670 euros and documents of interest to the investigation have been seized.
Examining Court number Three of Estepona is handling the case.
