• The plantation had a technical installation of lighting and forced air conditioning to optimize plant growth as much as possible.

• In the operation, two individuals, residents of the Santa Lucía neighborhood of Cartagena, have been charged with various crimes.

March 24, 2024.- Customs Surveillance Officers of the Tax Agency and National Police officers proceeded, on March 4, to dismantle a marijuana crop in the Santa Lucía neighborhood (Cartagena) and to identify two individuals who are charged with alleged crimes against public health and electricity fraud.

As a result of the investigations carried out by agents regarding the location of drug production and distribution points, the existence of a marijuana plantation in an area of the Santa Lucía neighborhood was confirmed.

Officials' surveillance of the area under investigation confirmed the existence of a fraudulent electricity connection that the marijuana plantation owners had allegedly established to avoid the high electricity costs required by these facilities.

Investigators from Customs Surveillance and the National Police established a joint operation to access the premises under investigation and its adjoining patio. Once inside, they were able to verify the presence of more than 300 marijuana plants in the maturing phase and proceeded to identify the person in charge of the plantation.

In addition, in the indoor marijuana cultivation area, twelve air conditioning systems, 19 fans, 69 lighting fixtures, two air extractors, and their respective electrical protection panels were modified, consisting of several circuit breaker strips, transformers, and other electrical equipment for their operation. This technical installation was designed to optimize plant growth as much as possible.

The presence and collaboration of workers from the energy supply company was necessary to eliminate the risk of fire and to disconnect the electrical connections that had been made fraudulently and without the necessary safety measures.

Subsequently, after various efforts, a second individual linked to the events was identified on March 6.

The operation involved investigators from the Tax Agency's Customs Surveillance Unit in Murcia, officers from the National Police Station in Cartagena, and the Forensic Police Service of the station.

The two detainees will be brought before the Cartagena Court of First Instance in the coming days.