Customs investigators in Dresden uncovered a professional indoor cannabis plantation during coordinated raids across multiple locations, seizing 795 plants and arresting two suspects.

On October 27, 2026, the Customs Investigation Office in Dresden, acting on behalf of the Chemnitz Public Prosecutor’s Office, conducted searches at four properties located in Grimma, Rochlitz, and Erlau. During the operation, authorities discovered a professional indoor cannabis plantation containing 795 cannabis plants and approximately 4.7 kilograms of harvested marijuana. Two suspects were taken into custody and subsequently placed in pretrial detention.

The investigation, which began in early 2026, targeted a German-Albanian group suspected of operating the illegal plantation. Seven individuals, aged between 23 and 60, are accused of violating the Consumption Cannabis Act in a particularly severe case by establishing and maintaining the plantation. The operation involved specialized units from Customs, the Federal Police, the Saxony State Police, and the Technical Relief Agency. Authorities also seized advanced equipment used for cultivation, including lighting and ventilation systems, electrical inverters, control devices, and other technical components.

Additional items confiscated during the raids included two air rifles, shotgun ammunition, an anti-aircraft projectile, a drone, and various electronic evidence such as mobile phones, storage devices, and computers. The harvested marijuana alone is estimated to have a street value of approximately €47,000. Investigators are continuing to analyze the extensive electronic evidence, and the Chemnitz Public Prosecutor’s Office and Customs Investigation Office in Dresden have confirmed that the inquiry remains ongoing. Under Section 34, Paragraph 4, Number 3 of the Consumption Cannabis Act, offenses involving organized cannabis trafficking in significant quantities can result in prison sentences ranging from two to fifteen years.