See inside £4.3m cannabis farm discovered in Telford industrial unit by members of the public
Unsuspecting members of the public uncovered a huge cannabis farm containing thousands of plants on an industrial estate in Telford.
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West Mercia Police believes the cannabis plants discovered in the unit on Halesfield in southeast Telford have a street value of around £4.3m.
In all 5,104 cannabis plants were found across 16 rooms inside the unit, which was raided by police on Wednesday after the grow was discovered by members of the public in the early hours.
There was also further evidence at the scene of a grow that had already been cropped, and that people may have been living there. The electricity within the building had also been tampered with.
No-one was discovered in the building, and no arrests have yet been made, but police say an investigation is underway.
Detective Sergeant Ryan Forster, from Telford CID, said: “We know that cannabis farms such as this are often linked to serious and organised crime gangs, and the drugs they sell have a negative impact on our communities and can lead to other localised criminality.
“The cultivation of these crops can also lead to the harm and exploitation of vulnerable people, as well as being extremely dangerous as often electrics are tampered with, which can lead to fires.
“Shutting down this grow today shows we will not tolerate criminal activity within our communities, and we will continue to crack down on them.”
Following the discovery, police are appealing for members of the public to report any signs of criminal activity online at westmercia.police.uk.
Information can also be reported anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.