Expats caught in drug busts
Home plantations found in Parcent, Lliber and Alfaz del Pi
THE GUARDIA Civil arrested two Dutch people last Saturday in connection with the production of marijuana in Parcent, Lliber and Alfaz del Pi.
In what was described as a ‘sophisticated’ operation, the 47-year-old woman and 45-yearold man had hermetically sealed the rooms of townhouses in order to avoid detection, growing 1,738 plants.
Officers from the investigation team of the Guardia Civil of El Verger had been aware of a possible marijuana plantation in a house in the village of Lliber after observing sporadic visits by a couple, whom they managed to identify despite the extreme security measures they had taken.
The couple had installed security cameras in the house, monitored by mobile telephones. They were also noted to change rental vehicles frequently in order not to raise suspicions.
Once the Guardia had obtained permission to enter and raid the three homes, they discovered a total amount of ten rooms being used for the cultivation of the drug.
The rooms had an electrical system of ventilation filtration and extremely advanced irrigation systems, allowing for the rapid propagation of the production of marijuana.
The detainees controlled the devices from their phones and sealed the rooms hermetically, including the access doors, to increase CO2 and accelerate the growth of the plants.
In addition, the suspects had illegally connected the houses to the electricity network, using a total amount of 80,000kw, the equivalent of normal usage of fifty family homes.
In total, 1,738 marijuana plants were found in different stages of growth along with €39,420 in cash, luxury watches, (one of them valued at €55,000), and numerous other items, such as a laptop, five high value mobile phones, 126 high-power heat lamps, 129 transformers, 22 fans, ten thermo-hygrometers, nine extractor fans, 19 carbon filters, four air conditioners, two PH meters, three complete camera surveillance systems and two Co2 regulators.
The couple were charged with three crimes against public health and three other crimes of defrauding electricity.
They were placed at the disposal of Denia court, who sent them to prison without bail awaiting trial.