We have arrested two men and seized more than 700 cannabis plants and equipment following a warrant in Kirkdale yesterday (Wednesday 10 February).
At around 10am officers executed a Misuse of Drugs Act warrant at an address on Stanley Road. Officers seized 524 plans and a large amount of green vegetable matter.
While executing the warrant, officers notices suspicious activity in an adjoining address on Orwell Road and entered the property. A cannabis farm spread across six rooms was found inside with a total of 253 plants and paraphernalia dismantled and seized by our Cannabis Dismantling Team (CDT).
Both properties have been made safe. Two men, aged 23 and 47, both of no fixed address, were arrested on suspicion of cannabis production and have bene taken into custody for questioning.
Cannabis Dismantling Team Manager Matt Brown said: “Finding and dismantling cannabis farms, and making them safe for the sake of neighbouring properties is absolutely vital for the communities we serve.
“Cannabis farms grown in residential locations cause a substantial risk of fire and flood not only to the property they have been grown in, but those around it too. “We also know that organised crime groups are involved in their production and can bring violent crime to the areas they set their farms up in.
“Nobody wants to live close to such risk, so keep aware of the signs, come to us with any suspicions, and we’ll take action.”
If you have any information about suspected drug production in your area, please contact @MerPolCC, 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Always call 999 if a crime is in progress. A video in which where Matt explains how you can spot signs of cannabis being grown where you live can be found here – https://youtu.be/rc59i2dsZHM Some of the signs that cannabis is being grown are:
• Strange smells and sounds
• Frequent and varied visitors to a property, often at unusual times
• Gardening equipment being taken into a property, such as plant pots, fertiliser, fans and industrial lighting
• Windows are sealed and covered or the curtains are permanently closed
• Heat from an adjoining property
• Birds gathering on a roof in cold weather
• Individually these activities may seem commonplace, however, together may indicate something more suspicious
