Police are investigating eleven illegal dumping sites connected to indoor cannabis production near San Miguel de Salinas. The sites were reported by the San Miguel Arcángel residents’ association to the Guardia Civil’s nature protection service and the local council.

The waste has been found near the service road of the Cartagena post-transfer canal, southeast of the town centre. It includes plastic fertiliser containers, specialised growing substrates, plant cuttings, high-powered lighting systems, air filters and climate control equipment. Some of the rubbish lies within the canal’s protected zone and stretches for almost half a kilometre along a dirt track used by walkers and cyclists.

Investigators believe the material was dumped gradually over recent months. Indoor cannabis cultivation requires complex infrastructure, including lighting operating up to 24 hours a day and controlled temperatures between 20 and 28 degrees Celsius. Officers are examining whether banned chemicals may have been used.

San Miguel de Salinas Town Hall began removing the waste on Wednesday, clearing more than three tonnes on the first day. The council has decided to cover the cost of the clean-up, despite the land being privately owned, and says the operation will take more than a week to complete.