£400,000 cannabis factory found in raid at Telford house

Neighbours raised suspicion about the property in Domas Way in Dawley, Telford, where officers from West Mercia Police discovered a cannabis growing factory.

It is thought in excess of 400 plants were discovered in the house. One plant alone is thought to be valued at around £1,000. No one has been arrested following the incident and West Mercia Police say investigations are continuing. The discovery was made at 9.30am on Wednesday, following reports from neighbours.

Detective Sergeant Jon Taylor of the proactive criminal investigation department at Telford’s Malinsgate Police Station said it was the biggest find he has seen in his seven years working in the department.

He said: “It’s quite a sophisticated grow. They’ve converted three separate rooms and were growing plants throughout.

“The police were notified by concerned neighbours, the premises looked insecure.

“Officers could see that and gained entry and then have identified inside the address a number of rooms upstairs had been converted into cannabis grows.

“It’s hard to tell exactly how many there are at this stage as the plants were at different stages but I think there’s about 400.

“An ongoing investigation is now taking place over the person responsible.

“It is an illegal substance and is only likely to be grown to sell. It’s a significant find for us if you work on the basis that each plant is £1,000. It’s quite a significant and sophisticated grow and a lot of time and effort has gone into it.”

DS Taylor is now urging other people in Telford to be vigilant and look out for illegal drug activity in their area.

Signs that a property may be used as a cannabis factory include a strong, pungent smell coming from the property; electrical wiring that has been tampered with and powerful lights left on throughout the night, with windows blacked out.

Police have advised that properties can be ‘booby trapped’, with electrical wiring rigged up to the door handles in some circumstances.

People living near to cannabis factories may also notice a sudden jump or increase in the cost of electricity bills.

There may also be large amounts of bin bags, containing vegetable material put out by the building.

Landlords and letting agents are also advised to be wary of prospective tenants willing to pay months of rent in advance or in cash or of tenants who will not allow access to certain rooms.

DS Taylor added: “I wouldn’t say we trip over them every day but this find is definitely significant. Hopefully it’s not a trend.

“We urge people not to be afraid to report it to the police. If they smell something a little strange or something a bit unusual or see lots of paraphernalia being delivered.

“If they think it’s suspicious report it through Crimestoppers or directly to us and we can take it further. Any potential outstanding witnesses that might have seen this particular grow taking place should come forward and contact me directly or the pro-active team at Telford.”

Anyone with information should call 101.

Anyone who has concerns about possible illegal activity should call police on the non-emergency 101 number.

Information can also be passed on to Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.