Hidden between olive trees and other inconspicuous (and legal) plants, a ring of marijuana growers have been hard at work curating a small cannabis empire. The clandestine operation avoided detection for quite some time due to the relatively small size of the plants, but last week six men involved in the operation were arrested and placed in custody.
More than 5,000 kilograms of plant matter were seized, with approximate estimates reaching 75,000 individual plants. The marijuana field reached more than 3 hectares of land (about 7.5 acres). There is no news regarding where the harvested material may have been distributed, though questions may be answered as the six suspects are questioned further.
This is far from the first major bust in Spain, but it's reportedly the largest ever in the country. That places the massive take securely among the largest marijuana busts in Europe to date.
Where they'll put the captured plants is still in question. In Spain, a court order is required to destroy cannabis plants. It can take up to 30 days before one is approved. This means that many Spanish police stations are now reeking like marijuana to the point that officers have to leave their shift early.
The growing smell has become so strong that officers complain that they "have the feeling of being under the effects of having smoked something illegal".
This largest-ever bust of a marijuana field in Spain will certainly cause a few more police stations to overflow with the scintillating scent of sinsemilla. Perhaps they're looking for volunteers to hold on to some for safe keeping? We'll take good care of it for them, we promise. We'll even burn it for them, if we really must!