A police operation, carried out from early Tuesday morning, July 7, in Benifaió and other municipalities in La Ribera, has culminated in the dismantling of an organization dedicated to cultivating marijuana for export to Northern Europe. The provisional result of the operation, conducted by agents of the Drug and Organized Crime Unit (Udyco) from the Xirivella police station, includes at least one arrest and the seizure of a considerable amount of marijuana in various stages of cultivation.
The farm was set up in a former kitchen and bathroom furniture factory, Fabricados Tritón, located on the Camí de la Marcelina in Benifaió. The organization had established an industrial infrastructure for the cultivation of cannabis sativa. The National Police have confirmed the arrest of one person and the seizure of drugs, although they have not specified quantities, stating that it is an ongoing operation that has been carried out simultaneously in other parts of the province of Valencia.
The investigation, which has been ongoing for some time, has had the support of the Police Intervention Unit (UIP) and air assets, including the helicopter from the Superior Police Headquarters of València, whose low flights have not gone unnoticed by the residents.
These clandestine operations aim for large-scale production of marijuana, which is subsequently exported to European countries, mainly in the north and east, where the wholesale price can triple that of the Spanish black market. The profitability of these 'industrial' farms allows investors to quickly recoup their initial investment, particularly in climate control and cultivation management machinery.
One of the key indicators for detecting these illegal cultivation sites is the dramatic increase in electricity consumption. The intensive cultivation facilities consume vast amounts of electricity, a fact usually detected by companies like Iberdrola. During the inspection of the Benifaió facility, investigators were assisted by Iberdrola technicians to dismantle the installations and neutralize the illegal connections to the power grid.
