lequebecfume
07-28-2010, 04:42 AM
£500k cannabis factory by canal
Published Date:
28 July 2010
By John Harrison
POLICE have raided a canalside cottage in Northamptonshire, finding a large cannabis factory and recovering plants worth £500,000.
During the dawn strike, organised as part of Operation Guardian, 19 police officers raided the five-bedroom detached cottage at Stowe Hill, on the A5 near Weedon, opposite the Narrow Boat Inn.
1,000 cannabis plants, at various stages of growth, along with large bags of fertiliser and electrical equipment used to help the plants grow. Drugs bosses had illegally hooked into the electric mains.
Two people, one thought to be the "gardener" of the enterprise and the other the owner of the property, have been arrested.
The three downstairs rooms of the house, which is located alongside the Grand Union Canal, were filled with cannabis plants, while four upstairs bedrooms were also being used to grow drugs.
Officers estimated crops in one room were about to be "harvested" and could have hit the streets within weeks.
Sergeant Matthew Manifold, who led the raid, said the cannabis factory was one of the biggest he had ever seen and came following a tip-off from locals.
He said: "We have found about 1,000 plants. Upstairs we have what you would call a nursery and we have 20 or 30 baby plants that look like they have just been potted."
Local boat owners said they were not surprised the house, which had been used as a home until about 18 months ago, had been used as a cannabis factory.
Mr Manifold said the house could have been operating as a cannabis factory for anything up to a year, but was spotted when a helicopter carrying thermal imaging equipment flew overhead.
He added: "It came from local people saying this house is a bit funny; it smells funny and the curtains are always drawn. We were then able to get the helicopter to fly over. We did it at about 3am, roughly four weeks ago and this house was glowing like it was on fire."
A police spokesman last night said a 28-year-old man from South East Asia was arrested at the cottage.
A 69-year-old man from Daventry, thought to be the owner, was arrested yesterday afternoon.
http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/500k-cannabis-factory-by-canal.6443330.jp
LEQ
hmmmm....
go fight real crime you donut munching boffins...
Published Date:
28 July 2010
By John Harrison
POLICE have raided a canalside cottage in Northamptonshire, finding a large cannabis factory and recovering plants worth £500,000.
During the dawn strike, organised as part of Operation Guardian, 19 police officers raided the five-bedroom detached cottage at Stowe Hill, on the A5 near Weedon, opposite the Narrow Boat Inn.
1,000 cannabis plants, at various stages of growth, along with large bags of fertiliser and electrical equipment used to help the plants grow. Drugs bosses had illegally hooked into the electric mains.
Two people, one thought to be the "gardener" of the enterprise and the other the owner of the property, have been arrested.
The three downstairs rooms of the house, which is located alongside the Grand Union Canal, were filled with cannabis plants, while four upstairs bedrooms were also being used to grow drugs.
Officers estimated crops in one room were about to be "harvested" and could have hit the streets within weeks.
Sergeant Matthew Manifold, who led the raid, said the cannabis factory was one of the biggest he had ever seen and came following a tip-off from locals.
He said: "We have found about 1,000 plants. Upstairs we have what you would call a nursery and we have 20 or 30 baby plants that look like they have just been potted."
Local boat owners said they were not surprised the house, which had been used as a home until about 18 months ago, had been used as a cannabis factory.
Mr Manifold said the house could have been operating as a cannabis factory for anything up to a year, but was spotted when a helicopter carrying thermal imaging equipment flew overhead.
He added: "It came from local people saying this house is a bit funny; it smells funny and the curtains are always drawn. We were then able to get the helicopter to fly over. We did it at about 3am, roughly four weeks ago and this house was glowing like it was on fire."
A police spokesman last night said a 28-year-old man from South East Asia was arrested at the cottage.
A 69-year-old man from Daventry, thought to be the owner, was arrested yesterday afternoon.
http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/500k-cannabis-factory-by-canal.6443330.jp
LEQ
hmmmm....
go fight real crime you donut munching boffins...