the police evoke a world record

Spanish police announced on Saturday that they had seized 32 tons of cannabis buds, « the largest seizure of this substance internationally », after an investigation that led to the arrest of twenty people. This vast operation, dubbed « Jardines » (« gardens » in French), has taken place in recent weeks in several cities in Spain, including Toledo and Valencia, where the alleged traffickers stored most of the goods, said the Civil Guard.

It « concluded with the seizure of 32 tons of marijuana buds », equivalent to the production of « 1.1 million » cannabis plants, i.e. « the largest seizure of this substance, not only in Spain, but also internationally,” she insisted in a statement.

According to the Civil Guard, the cannabis buds were vacuum-packed for shipment to different Spanish regions, but also to other European countries, « mainly Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium ».

20 people arrested

In total, twenty people aged 20 to 59 – nine men and eleven women – were arrested during the operation. The organization to which they belonged « controlled the entire process of production and distribution of drugs », specifies the Civil Guard.

After being the gateway to hashish in Europe for decades, Spain has seen cannabis plantations multiply on its territory in recent years, attracting criminal organizations from all over the European continent.