Man arrested after discovery of £380,000 cannabis factory in Liverpool

Cannabis farm was found at a property on Russet Close in Belle Vale

A man arrested after the discovery of a drugs factory in Liverpool has been released on police bail.

The cannabis farm was found at a property on Russet Close in Belle Vale after officers from Merseyside Police executed a drugs warrant on Tuesday.

After a search of the house officers discovered a cannabis farm with more than 470 plants of various sizes.

The crops would produce an estimated annual yield of more than £380,000.

The plants and a large amount of sophisticated hydroponics equipment were also recovered.

A 38-year-old man was arrested at the premises on suspicion of production of cannabis.

He was taken to a police station for questioning. On Wednesday police confirmed the man had been released on police bail.

The man's housing provider was informed because the activity was in breach of his tenancy agreement.

Housing officials will also be attending and reviewing his tenancy.

Merseyside Police work closely with social housing providers and all incidents similar to this are reported to the relevant provider and persons will be evicted through the courts if they are found to be breaching tenancy agreements.

Inspector Andy Wignall, said: "This was a large-scale set-up that was very sophisticated and would have yielded a significant crop.

"Following the discovery of the cannabis factory a large amount of illegal drugs were seized - ensuring they were taken out of circulation for good.

"This case highlights the fact that cannabis factories can be anywhere. We would urge people to be on their guard and to report any suspicious activity in their area to police immediately - even the smallest amount of information can be useful.

"This could be reporting suspicious activity or passing on information in relation to a building that you suspect is being used to grow Cannabis in. It could even be reporting a strange smell emanating from a property.

"Merseyside Police is committed to tackling illegal drugs - this sort of activity will not be tolerated.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk 11/06/2014