The Ertzaintza has dismantled a pavilion in Amurrio (Álava) that had the largest marijuana production capacity in the Basque Country.
The investigation, which began last November, has also culminated in the arrest of three men, aged 23, 40 and 45, who were part of a criminal group dedicated to the cultivation and trafficking of marijuana established between Álava and Bizkaia.
As reported by the Basque Department of Security, five independent greenhouses were installed in the industrial pavilion and the necessary works were being carried out to install new greenhouses and thus have at least 11,000 plants.
The arrests occurred this past March 11 in an operation carried out in the municipality of Amurrio. The three men were arrested and accused of alleged crimes of drug trafficking and electricity fraud.
The investigation has had the participation of Citizen Protection patrols attached to the Laudio and Gernika Police Stations, as well as the collaboration of the drug group from the Bilbao police station.
The investigations began in November 2023. The network operated between the Historical Territories of Álava and Bizkaia, where they had different industrial warehouses dedicated to the indoor cultivation of marijuana plants.
They had material for extracting pollen with which to make cannabis derivatives, such as rosin, a resinous substance with more than 60% active tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), whose market price is about 120 euros/gram, to which requires a continuous supply of raw material, since to obtain one kilogram of said substance between 50 and 75 kilos of marijuana would be necessary.
To do this, they had conditioned one of the warehouses with electrical devices, heat pumps and ventilation and air extraction systems, as well as automated irrigation and fertilization systems, which could facilitate the harvesting of four to six annual crops.
Although the warehouse did not have any commercial or work activity, it had a perimeter video surveillance system and, in addition, the rugged terrain on which it was located meant that the modifications made were not easily noticeable.
The members of the criminal group assumed security measures to avoid being detected when they went to supervise the greenhouses. Two of the detainees would occupy a higher rank, one of them being a specialist in electricity and plumbing and the other with advanced knowledge in network installation. The third detainee would be in charge of caring for the plantations.
In addition, two searches were carried out, with judicial authorization, in industrial pavilions and another three in two homes located in Álava and Bizkaia.
The main production was in the Amurrio pavilion, where the agents located two areas of indoor greenhouses with a total of 644 plants, in addition to multiple materials to maintain and increase the crop, as well as the construction materials necessary to increase their capacity. up to at least 11,000 plants. In fact, in another part of the pavilion they were already carrying out the necessary electrical and plumbing works for the installation of new greenhouses. With the plants found, the members of the group could have obtained around 250,000 euros on the illicit market.
In the three homes, multiple electronic materials were seized such as laptops, hard drives and mobile phones, extensive documentation, money for an amount exceeding 26,000 euros and a pistol with ammunition.
After the completion of the police proceedings, the detainees were placed at the disposal of the Amurrio Court on March 13, where their release with charges was ordered.
