THREE cannabis farms have been shut down in Coventry after three simultaneous raids were carried out across the city.
Yesterday (Wednesday), officers from West Midlands Police’s County Lines and Gangs Taskforce swooped at addresses in Hollis Road and Hugh Road.
The warrants saw more than 500 cannabis plants seized and three men arrested.
Inside the first property in Hollis Road, five growing rooms were found along with a nursery for sapling plants. A 33-year-old man was found inside and arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis, abstracting electricity and immigration offences.
The second property, also in Hollis Road, contained three growing rooms and another electricity bypass. There was also a separate room for storing cannabis plant cuttings. A 28-year-old man was found inside and was arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis and immigration offences.
The third property, in Hugh Road, was also a cannabis farm and a 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis and abstracting electricity.
Cannabis farms and the associated offending linked to them can have a devastating impact on the surrounding neighborhood, with the dangerously bypassed electricity system often causing catastrophic fires.
Police say they regularly carry out warrants against properties believed to contain cannabis farms. Officers have appealed to the public to help them find where they are.
“All the information we receive helps us build a clear plan of action around targeting cannabis farms and the people who operate them.”
The force then works with partners including the local council and the Home Office to prosecute criminals and safeguard exploited people, many of whom are trafficked and forced to work in these premises illegally.
Anyone with information on a cannabis farm can contact West Midlands Police via Live Chat at westmidlands.police.uk or by calling 101.
Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
