The National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) has shut down a plantation of around four hectares of cannabis sativa, in the town of Changalane, in the district of Namaacha, Maputo province.

"This is industrial production, because you can't say that two people can have synchronized production, as we can see here. Intelligence work is underway with the aim of finding the owners of these machambas so that they can be held responsible at a later date," said the corporation's spokesman in Maputo, Henrique Mendes.

The authorities learned of the existence of the industrial cannabis plantation, "given its size", thanks to complaints from local people

Quoted by Rádio Moçambique, the head of SERNIC said that the respective process has already been drawn up and conditions are currently being created for the destruction of the fields.

"It's also difficult to say here what the destination of these drugs was, because the owners have unfortunately not been located on this occasion. So the investigation is still ongoing," he said.

The market to which the drugs were supplied is still unknown, but in recent times SERNIC in Maputo province has been tightening its grip on the production, sale and consumption of drugs, which is leading to massive arrests.