Italian cops have discovered a massive cannabis plantation hidden near the ruins of Pompeii after several reports that people could smell marijuana nearby.

Cops confirmed that a massive plantation of 18,000 marijuana plants containing nine tons of the illicit drug had been found on the grounds of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii in the Campania region of Italy.

The ruins of Pompeii is one of the world’s most visited archaeological sites with millions of visitors a year, although the area where the plants was discovered was reportedly closed to the public. It has also been closed for months because of COVID-19 measures and only recently reopened.

The investigation began after several people reported a strong smell of cannabis.

Using drones, the police then discovered that there was an extensive plantation spreading over an area of ​​2,000 square metres hidden in dense vegetation.

The plants were inside a former gunpowder factory built during the reign of the Bourbon dynasty when it ruled over Naples in the 19th century.

The police have seized material for cultivation and packaging as well as the 18,000 plants weighing 9 tons in total.

As of now, it is not known who was behind the illicit plantation but in Italy, drug trafficking is mainly carried out by the Mafia and Naples is where the Camorra operates, which has around a 100 clans and 6,000 members, according to local media.

A spokesman for the Pompeii Archaeological Park confirmed that the marijuana was being grown in area that wasn’t accessible to the public.

The Pompeii Archaeological Park is the home to the world’s most famous volcanic disaster when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, burying the nearby Roman town and preserving the ruins in many cases along with its inhabitants.