The National Police have arrested an individual allegedly linked to some marijuana plantations located inside a house located on the La Torreta road in the Oriola district of El Escorratel. The police operation was carried out over a period of several weeks in coordination with the Local Police, leading to the arrest of the alleged perpetrator and the dismantling of the narcotic substance plantation.
The plantation was discovered during a routine patrol by the Orihuela Local Police. As they were traveling along a regional road in the direction of Orihuela, close to the town of Benferri they came across two dogs that were in a deplorable condition. The animals, of the American Stanford breed (considered potentially dangerous), were tied up, in an unhealthy environment and without access to water or food.
The officers approached the area, also finding two abandoned houses, when they were surprised by two people who hurriedly left the site in a vehicle. As they approached one of the buildings from which the two men had hastily departed, they came across a strong smell of marijuana.
Entering the open house the officers discovered a large number of marijuana plants of considerable height, with cultivation equipment in operation, the interior light plugged in and an air conditioning unit, at which point they called for the assistance of the National Police.
They were also able to take the two animals into care, eventually moving them both to
the San Bartolomé Animal Protection Centre, but not before experiencing a scare when one of the dogs attacked an agent and later a volunteer at the centre.
On their arrival at the scene scientific Police officers from the National Police were able to gather evidence confirming the illegal plantation. The Judicial Police were able to quickly identify one of the alleged perpetrators, and he was located a short time later.
The man was arrested, the substances were seized, and the facilities dismantled, removing from the illicit trade all the material used for the plantation along with a total of 67 marijuana plants.
The detainee, a 30-year-old Spanish man with a criminal record, has now been presented before the Investigative Courts of Orihuela.
