The Guardia Civil has dismantled a giant industrial farm of 415,000 cannabis plants, spread over 67 hectares in the open air in northern Spain. Once processed, the total value of the seized hemp was estimated at 100 million euros by the country’s authorities.
The Spanish police announced, on April 9, the success of the anti-drug operation that it carried out jointly with the foral police of the province of Navarre. This police operation resulted in the arrest of three people in Navarre and two others are under investigation in Biscay. All of the drugs were destroyed under the order of the Spanish justice.
In their statement, law enforcement said the plantation was the largest unearthed marijuana crop in Europe. Covering 67 hectares, the 415,000 plants were spread over eleven plots in the localities of Artajona and Olite, located near Pamplona, the capital of Navarre. Once the cannabis plants were harvested, they were left to dry in the shelter of a large industrial shed equipped with a ventilation system and a thermostat.
Operation conjunta con @guardiacivil: dismantling the mayor plantación de cáñamo industrial de Europa destinada al tráfico de drogas. 415,000 plants, 87,500 kg cogollos. Compañero fuera de servicio descubrió uno de los cultivos y commenzó la investigation #BuenTrabajo #cannabis pic.twitter.com/BW2U1hcqF8
— Policia Foral – Foruzaingoa (@policiaforal_na) April 13, 2022
The Guardia Civil indicated that the cannabis plants were destined for Switzerland and Italy in order to be transformed into CBD (cannabidiol, a relaxing molecule without narcotic effect) and other derivatives.
She added that initially the person in charge of the culture had given an apparent legality to the plantations carried out by informing the investigators that the production of hemp was intended for an industrial use. Indeed, use for industrial or pharmaceutical purposes is legal in Spain, subject to authorisation. On the other hand, production for processing into CBD and derivative products is illegal.
According to the latest report from the European Monitoring Center on Drugs (EMCDDA), Spain is one of the leading producers of cannabis in Europe, with almost half of the plants seized in the European Union. More than 2.3 million cannabis plants were seized in Spain in 2021, three times more than in 2016, according to the latest figures from the Interior Ministry.
