The largest amount of cannabis ever found has been discovered in a series of raids across Spain, police say.
Authorities said they seized more than 32 tons of the drug, which has an estimated street value of more than 64 million euros.
Police said they arrested nine men and 11 women, aged between 20 and 59, in raids across Spain.
The Guardia Civil said the “complex business network” was exporting the drug around Europe.
The weight of the seized plants is roughly equivalent to more than five full-grown African elephants.
The gang was arrested after raids in Toledo, Ciudad Real, Valencia and Asturias last month, but details of Operation Gardens were only made public on Saturday.
Police said the business was run by different “companies” who carried out different parts of the process – from buying the seeds, to growing and drying the plants, to packaging and shipping them.
“The Civil Guard has seized the largest amount of packaged marijuana found so far,” said a police statement.
“It was equivalent to about 1.1 million plants”
