Large cannabis farm discovered in Crewe

Officers have recovered more than 2,000 cannabis plants following the discovery of a large cannabis farm at a disused factory in Crewe.

At around 4pm on Friday 7 June, officers executed a warrant at a former printer on Frances Street.

After gaining entry to the building, officers discovered that it had been converted into a sophisticated large scale cannabis farm.

No arrests have been made at this time and enquiries remain ongoing to identify those responsible and officers remain in attendance at the scene.

Detective Inspector David Jarvis of Crewe CID Unit said, said:

“This is a fantastic result which has enabled us to remove a significant quantity of cannabis from the streets of Crewe and further afield.

“The factory had been converted into a sophisticated cannabis farm, with specialist lighting and ventilation systems to maximise the amount of class B drugs being cultivated.

“In total we believe that the building contained well over 2,000 cannabis plants at various stages of growth, which will all now be destroyed.

“While no arrests have been made at this time, it is clear that a number of people had been living in the premises and as part of our investigation we’re keen to hear from any local residents who believe they may have seen anything suspicious.

“The same goes for anyone with any CCTV or doorbell footage which may aid the investigation.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Cheshire Police on 101 or visit www.cheshire.police.uk/tell-us, quoting IML 1841929.

Following the discovery, 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.