Cannabis farm dismantled in Northwich

A large cannabis farm has been shut down in Northwich thanks to intelligence from the local community.

At around 2.30pm on Wednesday 9 September officers attended an industrial building on Pickmere Lane, Wincham, following reports of a suspicious activity at the premises.

Upon entering the premises, they discovered a professional cannabis farm with approximately 650 cannabis plants, all at varying stages of growth, along with heat lighting, fans, irrigation systems. The electricity had also been tampered with.

The plants seized are believed to have a potential street value of up to £220,000. Enquiries are ongoing into identifying those responsible.

Sergeant Rogan Ogden, of Northwich Local Policing Unit, said:

“This is another great result which demonstrates the value of intelligence from the public. As a result of the information provided we’ve removed a significant quantity of cannabis the streets of Northwich and the wider area.

“The supply and use of illegal drugs have an incredibly negative impact on the community, and our fight against this type of behaviour is never over. We will continue to do all we can to put a stop to this activity.

“While no arrests have been made at this time, our enquiries remain ongoing and I urge anyone with any information or video footage which may aid the investigation into the discovery to get in touch on 101, or at www.cheshire.police.uk/tell-us  quoting IML 2414099.”

There are a number of 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.

To report a suspected cannabis farm or any other type of drug-related offence, call us 101, give the details online at: 

www.cheshire.police.uk/tell-us