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Police trip over pot on bishop's plot

Steve Tallantyre
Steve Tallantyre - [email protected]
Police trip over pot on bishop's plot
Holy smoke: the church was unaware that the man, who had permission to use the land, was growing marijuana. Photo: Desiree Martin/AFP

Spanish officers in Santa Cruz have arrested a man for growing a marijuana plantation on land belonging to the bishop of Tenerife.

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The 27-year old, identified only by the initials R.C.H., was placed under arrest on Friday night after a long surveillance operation by the island's police.

Agents kicked off their stake-out after locals in the heart of the island's Anaga mountains dialled in a number of anonymous tip-offs in June.

Investigating officials then discovered marijuana plants growing in a hidden plot of land formerly used as a vegetable garden.

The crop was shielded from view by plastic sheets over a wooden frame.

A man was then arrested while watering the plants and he later confessed to owning them, according to Tenerife daily Diario de Avisos.

Local police confirmed that the land was part of the diocese of the bishop of Tenerife, assigned to the parish of Our Lady of the Snows of Taganna.

The dope grower had a written agreement to cultivate the land, dated from the 1st April 2012, but such use is not thought to include the cultivation of psychoactive plants. 

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