Large cannabis farm discovered in Crewe thanks to community intelligence

Officers from Crewe Local Policing Unit have recovered a large quantity of cannabis plants at a house in the town thanks to information from the local community.

At around 4pm on Monday 12th December, officers attended a property on Ruskin Road, Crewe, following reports of suspicious activity.

Upon entering the property officers discovered a large number of cannabis plants have been inside the house. 

A 37-year-old man was also arrested at the address, he  is currently in custody helping officers with their enquiries. 

Sergeant Steve Tandy, of ewe beat team, said: “Firstly I’d like to thank the residents for the information they provided, which has enabled us to remove a significant quantity of cannabis from the streets of Crewe.

“It is clear that this property had been completely converted to produce cannabis on a large scale. The electricity had been dangerously bypassed, and a large number of cannabis plants were discovered.

“These set-ups can be dangerous to other residents given the way the electricity is bypassed, and the equipment used within. We urge anyone who suspects this activity happening near them to come forward and tell us about it.”  

Residents are urged to remain vigilant and to continue to report any suspicions of illegal drug-related activity to the police. 
 
There are a number signs that could indicate that a property is being used as a cannabis farm, including: 

• A strong and sickly sweet smell 
• Equipment to grow cannabis being taken into a property, such as lighting and ventilation equipment 
• Constantly covered or blocked-off windows – cannabis farms often have constantly closed curtains, black-out blinds or foil coverings 
• People coming and going at all hours or neighbours you never see 
• Strong and constant lighting day and night 
• High levels of heat and condensation – cannabis farms often give off heat and the windows stay misted up 
• A constant buzz of ventilation – listen out for a whirring sound as the growers try to create an ideal climate for cannabis plants to grow 
• Lots of power cables – offenders often dig underground to lay cables that hook up to things like lamp posts so they do not have to pay for the enormous amounts of electricity they use. 

You can report suspected drug related activity to Cheshire Constabulary online at:

http://www.cheshire.police.uk/ro/report

...or by calling 101. 

Pictured - The cannabis farm.