Cannabis plants worth estimated £170k seized in Blackburn, Darwen and Hyndburn raids
Two men were arrested following the operation in Blackburn
Two men were arrested following the operation in Blackburn
HUNDREDS of cannabis plants with a potential street value of around £170,000 have been seized by police this week.
At least three men were arrested in three, unrelated, raids in Blackburn, Darwen, and Hyndburn.
Around 500 cannabis plants were found after 10 officers raided Campbell’s Amusements, in Lord Street West, Blackburn, on Thursday morning, after a tip-off from workers at surrounding businesses.
And several mature plants were found in Holden Fold, Darwen, after a passing police officer smelled a pungent odour.
A police spokesman said: “An officer had attended a separate incident at 12.10am yesterday when he noticed a smell.
He followed it to a nearby flat. “A warrant was authorised and was executed at 2.30am.”
Earlier in the week, police in Accrington also executed a warrant at an address in Church following an anonymous tip-off from Crimestoppers, and recovered several mature cannabis plants.
Two men from Accrington, aged 53 and 39, were arrested and bailed on suspicion of growing the class B drug following the raid in Lord Street West.
PC Hennighan, Blackburn town centre beat manager, praised nearby businesses for alerting officers to the farm.
He said: “The smell coming from the building was pointed out to us by a number of people and We did a bit of digging to secure the warrant.
“Drugs are a big problem and these operations can only work with the public reporting this kind of behaviour.
“We take it seriously and act upon it.”
And a 47-year-old man was arrested and bailed yesterday in Holden Fold, Darwen, on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis, and of illegally by-passing electricity.
The Conservative candidate for Blackburn with Darwen at the upcoming general election, Bob Eastwood, said: “This is good news to stop people becoming addicted to what can be a very dangerous substance.”
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