Putting one of Olhão’s empty warehouses to productive use normally would be commended as part and parcel of Portugal’s economic resurgence but the growing of an indoor plantation of cannabis plants in a highly sophisticated operation has led to the arrest of three local entrepreneurs.
The location of the warehouse was known to many locals due to the sweet smell emanating from the vents but it seems to have taken police a full six months to act.
House searches and arrests followed the warehouse bust. Police logged 366 healthy cannabis plants, drugs and drug-dealing paraphernalia all of which were confiscated.
One of the suspects was tracked to his home where he was arrested and the other two men were arrested as they turned up for work.
Two of the men are Portuguese but the third, thought to be the man in charge, is described rather intriguingly as a 40-year-old ‘foreigner.’
The green-fingered trio will be interviewed by police in Faro this week after the bust on Tuesday.
