The Ertzaintza has arrested two individuals in Loiu after discovering 650 marijuana plants and a cultivation facility within an industrial warehouse. The detainees face charges for drug trafficking and electricity fraud.
The investigation was initiated last May following anonymous tips from citizens. These reports raised suspicions about an industrial warehouse in a Loiu industrial park, from which the "clear" sound of machinery, likely extractors or ventilation, could be heard.
Officers confirmed that the pavilion was leased and showed no apparent work activity, although it was sporadically visited by two individuals. Furthermore, they noted a high electricity consumption, suggesting potential fraud against the power company and the presence of a large-scale marijuana cultivation operation.
After more than a month of investigation, police focused on two men who regularly accessed the warehouse, spending varying amounts of time inside. According to police sources, these patterns are common in large marijuana plantations to deter theft and avoid raising suspicion.
Consequently, a police operation was established on Monday to apprehend the two individuals allegedly responsible for tending to the marijuana plantation. With a judicial warrant, officers entered and searched the warehouse with one of the suspects, confirming the existence of a plantation with 650 marijuana plants.
As a result, a 44-year-old man of "Spanish nationality" was arrested for alleged drug trafficking. Additionally, officers from the Criminal Investigation Unit of Bizkaia arrested the second suspect, a 39-year-old man also of "Spanish nationality," in Bilbao.
The inspection of the industrial warehouse also revealed a setup equipped with heat lamps, fans, automatic irrigation, vents, insulation, filters, and extractors. The energy required for these systems had been illegally obtained, constituting another criminal offense. Both detainees are therefore also being investigated for electricity fraud.
Both the cultivation equipment and the 650 marijuana plants have been seized by the Ertzaintza. The two detainees are being held at police facilities and will be brought before the court once the police proceedings are concluded.
