Two arrested as police raid cannabis factory in Cardiff

Watch as officers are seen loading bags containing the drug and lamps onto a rental van parked outside the house on Glynrhondda Road

This is the moment police haul bags stuffed with cannabis from a house in Cardiff.

They raided a cannabis factory in the Cathays area of the city involving two three-storey houses on Glynrhondda Road.

Search officers also hauled in excess of 50 lamps out of the two properties.

They loaded the haul onto a Hire Me rental van parked outside.

Two men have been arrested and are helping South Wales Police with their inquiries.

A South Wales Police spokesman said: “Police officers have served a warrant at an address on Glynrhondda Street and have uncovered a cannabis factory.”

Student Ben Windebank, 20, who witnessed the raid, said: “I spoke to one of the police officers outside and she told me it’s the biggest haul of cannabis she’s ever come across in Cardiff.

“The police were watching the house all night, parked outside, and then they raided it at 10pm. You can always smell weed in this area but we just assumed it was students a few doors down having a smoke – pretty much everyone who lives here is a student.”

“We’ve never seen anyone going in and going out, and although we only live five doors down we’ve never met them really.

“We saw all these bags being taken out of the house and they were just stuffed with weed. They’ve also been taking aluminium walls, tubes and lamps out – it looked like a legit cannabis factory from what we’ve seen.”

Ainsley McArthur, 20, also a student, said: “ We came out earlier and saw two guys going past with massive bags of drugs they’d taken out of the house.

“I’ve lived in South East London so it’s nothing shocking for me, but it’s always smelled of weed in the area and we’ve just assumed it’s because there are so many students in this area.

“We had no idea there were houses being used to produce it. We did hear a lot of noise last night, but Wednesday nights are rugby socials so we assumed it was related to that.”

In a separate incident, police have arrested a man after a cannabis factory containing approximately 300 plants was discovered in a property at Mark Street, Riverside, Cardiff, on Wednesday.

A spokesman for South Wales Police said: “Following the execution of a warrant at an address on Mark Street police officers discovered a cannabis factory of around 300 plants.

“One man was arrested at the scene. He is currently helping police with their enquiries.”

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/police-raid-cannabis-factory-cathays-8230237 04/12/2014