TV Helicopter Unwittingly Exposes Rooftop Weed Operation During Bike Race

Catalan cops seized over 40 cannabis plants from a rooftop near Barcelona yesterday thanks to information from an unexpected source: a TV helicopter broadcasting this month’s Vuelta a España. Stage 8 of the race finished in the town of Igualada on Saturday, and as the race made its way through the city streets at the end of the stage, helicopter footage showed a whole bunch of (presumably) dank weed on someone’s rooftop.

It is not illegal to grow weed for personal use in Catalonia, only to sell it. However, as a local paper reported, authorities can still levy fines on grow operations if the amount seized exceeds an unspecified threshold.

“We received information thanks to the images that individuals posted on social media that had been taken from the helicopter of La Vuelta,” a police spokesperson said to ESPN. “That has helped us to seize 40 marijuana plants. No one has been arrested, but the investigation is still ongoing to find those responsible.” Harsh.