Regional police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, have dismantled two illegal cannabis cultivation operations in the comarca of La Selva, arresting eight people and seizing more than 770 plants. The coordinated actions took place in Vidreres and Riudarenes following investigations that began in late July.
In the first operation, on 29 September, officers from the Santa Coloma de Farners police station, supported by the Operational Resources Area (ARRO) of Girona and the Canine Unit, executed search warrants at two homes in the Aiguaviva Parc housing estate in Vidreres. Inside one house, they found 524 cannabis plants spread across two floors. A second property was being used to produce cuttings and dry and package buds, where police seized 252 cuttings and 22.7 kilograms of processed cannabis.
Both properties were equipped with high-intensity lighting, LED panels, air conditioning units, extractors, ventilation systems, and drying nets. A fraudulent electrical connection was also discovered, with utility company data indicating the illegal setup caused approximately €97,210 in losses.
The four suspects, aged 30, 35, 40 and 43, were detained and later appeared before the on-duty investigating court in Santa Coloma de Farners on 1 October. All have prior criminal records.
Fire Reveals Hidden Grow Room in Riudarenes
Six days after the Vidreres operation, on 5 October, a fire at a building in the Can Fornaca housing estate in Riudarenes led police to uncover a second cannabis farm. Mossos responded to the blaze just before 9am and found a small outbuilding adjacent to a residence fully engulfed.
Upon arrival, officers observed four individuals attempting to extinguish the flames and noticed multiple air conditioning units. From the exterior, they spotted two rooms filled with cannabis plants. Inside, they documented around 250 plants, each approximately 1.5 metres tall and in bud formation.
The four people detained, two women aged 53 and 54 and two men aged 31 and 70, had no prior criminal records. They are expected to appear before the investigating court when summoned.
The findings in both operations underscore ongoing efforts by the Mossos to combat illegal drug cultivation and electricity fraud in rural areas of Catalonia. Full details of the investigation are available via the official Mossos d'Esquadra news portal.
Primary sources: mossos.gencat.cat, dsp.interior.gencat.cat. Reported by diaridegirona.cat, GIRONA NOTÍCIES, elcaso.elnacional.cat, Agència Catalana de Notícies (ACN, CatalunyaPress.cat, Europa Press, Diari de Girona.
