Illegal cannabis cultivation in Tarragona province consumed 20.5 GWh of electricity in 2025, an amount equivalent to the annual usage of the entire town of Altafulla, according to figures from the electricity company Endesa. This forms part of a wider increase in electricity fraud across the province, which saw a 51% rise in stolen energy since 2022.
The province recorded 2,741 electricity fraud cases in 2025, with the total energy defrauded exceeding 59 million kWh. This volume makes Tarragona the second-highest province in Catalonia for energy fraud, behind Barcelona. The 59.09 GWh defrauded in Tarragona in 2025 is 20 GWh more than in 2022, and is comparable to the annual consumption of 16,885 homes, roughly the number of residents in Torredembarra.
Of the total fraud in Tarragona, 20.5 GWh, or 34.8%, came from dismantled marijuana plantations. Endesa sources explain these calculations are based on an average household consuming 3,500 kWh annually.
Rising Fraud Cases Linked to Cannabis
The number of fraud cases specifically linked to marijuana cultivation in Tarragona increased from 78 in 2022 to 110 in 2025. While these cases represent only 4% of all electricity fraud incidents in 2025, they account for a significant 34.8% of the total energy stolen. In 2023, these cases made up 6.3% of incidents but 51% of the energy stolen that year.
Across Catalonia, electricity fraud reached 24,347 cases in 2025, a 7% increase from the previous year. The total volume of 486.5 GWh is equivalent to the annual consumption of approximately 140,000 homes. The electricity company states that this growing problem risks public safety, degrades supply quality, and increases costs for all users.
Why Fraud is Increasing
This rise in defrauded energy stems from two main factors: increased inspection activity and Catalonia becoming a key region for illicit marijuana businesses, with Tarragona at the forefront. As cultivation expands, criminal organisations need more powerful installations, leading to higher energy theft for indoor plantations, which police sources confirm are becoming more common than outdoor grows.
Cannabis plants are found in various settings, from small flats to single-family homes and large industrial warehouses. Barcelona leads Catalonia in fraud, with 17,888 cases and over 344 GWh defrauded in 2025, six times Tarragona's figures. Girona saw a sharp drop from 2024, while Lleida remains the province with the lowest incidence.
Fraud related to drug cultivation is most prevalent in municipalities around the AP-7 motorway, particularly in Tarragona, Vallès Occidental and Oriental, and Girona regions. This fraud affects not only those committing it but also has broad economic and health implications.
Professionalisation and Consequences
Electricity fraud is increasingly professionalised and concentrated among large consumers, industries, and illegal plantations, according to the company. Over 50% of defrauded energy in Catalonia comes from these areas, while domestic fraud accounts for only 5%. Manipulations of the electrical grid cause fires, electrocutions, and power cuts in entire neighbourhoods, especially in areas with high fraud concentration.
To combat this, electricity companies use technologies like artificial intelligence and data analysis to detect unusual patterns and improve inspection effectiveness. Collaboration with security forces has also increased, even in the face of assaults on technicians during interventions.
The recent reform of the Penal Code stiffens penalties for repeated fraud linked to marijuana cultivation, with prison sentences up to 18 months. This aims to curb a phenomenon that continues to grow and strain the electrical grid. The company also works with international security forces, including the French Gendarmerie, Interpol, and the FBI, on various operations, not just drug-related, operations.
