Police in Messolonghi arrested three people on Wednesday (3/9) for illegal cultivation, drug trafficking, and forming a criminal organization, after discovering a cannabis plantation with 850 plants.

Specifically, yesterday afternoon, a coordinated police operation led to the discovery of a cannabis plantation with 850 plants, each about 1.5 meters tall. The estimated illegal profit from harvesting and distributing the plants was calculated at up to €1,275,000. At the site, officers found tools, fertilizer and pesticide packages used for cultivation, as well as an improvised water tank that supplied the plantation through a hose system.

In addition, the suspects had set up makeshift shelters near the plantation, where police found clothing, bottled water, food, cooking utensils, bedding, and other personal items. Access to the plantation was via a rough path leading off a forest road, with natural cover provided by dense vegetation.

Searches of the suspects’ homes and personal belongings uncovered 6.6 grams of cannabis, a hunting shotgun, €200 in cash, and other items.

The three suspects are expected to be brought before a prosecutor, while the Narcotics Division continues its investigation.