Catalonia to pay nearly €1 million for destruction of seized marijuana plants
Government justifies size of contract for external company by increase of cannabis installations
The Catalan government has tendered the hiring of an external service to dismantle marijuana plantations seized by police.
The contract is divided into four lots and its estimated value is close to €1 million.
The duration of the contract will be four months, with the possibility of extending it for two additional years.
The General Directorate of Police argues that in recent years there has been an increase in marijuana plantations in Catalonia, with the parallel growth of organized crime that this activity entails.
To prevent police agents from dealing with this task, Catalonia's interior ministry has offered this tender to hire specialized personnel to clear and cut the drug.
"Given the volume of substances seized throughout Catalonia, it is necessary that the investigative units no longer carry out these tasks, so that they can focus exclusively on investigating and arresting suspects," says the General Direction of the Mossos.
Due to the booming marijuana industry, the Mossos launched a pilot plan several months ago to have specialized companies handle the dismantling of plantations, rather than the agents themselves.
The service includes both the personnel and equipment necessary to dismantle and transport the drug.
At the service site, the company will be responsible for cutting, shredding and packing the plants in containers.
The entire operation will be supervised by Mossos investigators, who will seal and identify each container and supervise its transfer to police facilities.
Podcast
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