Three arrested after cannabis farm worth £2.7m found in abandoned industrial unit in Telford
A cannabis farm with an estimated street value of around £2.7 million has been discovered by police in an abandoned industrial unit in Telford - days after another huge grow was found in the town.
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The huge cannabis farm uncovered in Hortonwood today (Friday) is the second found in Telford this week.
A warrant was carried out in the early hours at an industrial unit in Hortonwood.
Officers from Telford’s Neighbourhood Crime Fighting Team (NCFT) and Proactive CID executed the warrant after information was received about unusual activity taking place at the unit.
When officers entered the building 2,739 mature cannabis plants were discovered, along with several boxes of already cropped plants. Together they hold an estimated street value of around £2.7 million.
Three men, aged 27, 30, and 45, living in the unit tried to avoid arrest by breaking down one of the back doors.
Officers were waiting for them, and they were swiftly arrested on suspicion of production of cannabis, and taken to custody where they remain as enquiries are carried out.
The warrant comes in the same week that a cannabis farm with 874 plants, worth an estimated £800,000, was discovered at a property in Woodside on Wednesday by a PCSO carrying out patrols.
Nobody has been arrested in connection with the Woodside cannabis farm and enquiries are ongoing.
Sergeant Matt Corfield, from the NCFT, said: “Today’s warrant has again demonstrated the importance around sharing information, and how working alongside the community can help create a safer, more supportive environment for everyone.
“The open communication and commitment to solve local problems creates a sense of shared responsibility.
“Many illicit cannabis farms are controlled by serious and organised crime gangs, which often use violence, intimidation, and illegal activities to operate.
“These farms can be linked to human trafficking and forced labour, and more often than none use unsafe electrical setups to power lights and ventilation systems, which are a dangerous fire hazard.
“This warrant sends a clear message, that any piece of information we receive will be developed and acted on, and we will not stop.”
