Date Published: 16/04/2014

Illicit rosemary seized in Cehegín

Three people were caught in possession of a ton and a half of aromatic herbs

The aromatic plants growing on the hillsides of the Region of Murcia are protected in many areas, but for some there is a temptation to disregard these laws and collect them for distillation or other purposes, and in the north-west of the Region recent events prove that the use of illegal substances is not limited to narcotics and smuggled cigarettes.

1,500 kilograms of illegally collected wild rosemary have been seized by the Guardia Civil in the mountains of Cehegín, with three people reported to the environmental authorities and one arrested as a result of the operation.

The Guardia Civil swoop came after it had come to their attention that ta large quantity of Rosemary had been harvested from the mountains, and it transpired that one of the three people involved was already the subject of an arrest warrant for another incident.

The hillside from which the rosemary was taken is one of those which are protected for various reasons: excessive or insufficient clearance of vegetation can affect erosion, the risk of forest fires, the reproduction of animals and even agricultural and farming activity. For these reasons those wishing to collect rosemary need authorization and are obliged to abide by a number of rules regarding the method of cutting the plants and the time of year.

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