Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - Police officers have discovered two large cannabis plantations in Wuppertal and Hückeswagen. A total of almost 2,300 plants and 21 kilograms of marijuana were confiscated, the police in Düsseldorf said on Tuesday. More than 100 police officers were deployed to search ten properties in Wuppertal, Hückeswagen and Düsseldorf.
The 44-year-old main suspect was arrested by special forces. There was an arrest warrant against him. Prosecutor Julius Sterzel said that the investigations were started by a tip from the French authorities. There it was possible to decrypt the encrypted crypto communication from Sky ECC, similar to Encrochat.
A professional plantation with 1160 plants ready for harvest was discovered in Wuppertal-Barmen. During the search operation, five men tried to flee through a roof hatch to a neighboring roof. All were arrested. In Hückeswagen, investigators found a similarly large plantation with 1,120 plants. An 18-year-old was arrested at the scene.
Vacuum bags with 21 kilograms of marijuana were secured in the Wuppertal apartment of a 27-year-old. Seven suspects were arrested and should be brought before magistrates. The annual electricity consumption for operating the illegal plantations is quite impressive: it corresponds to that of 300 two-person households.
