MORE THAN 100 cannabis plants were seized after a drugs raid in Coventry this morning.
Officers from the Coventry Gangs Unit swooped on the property in Princess Street and found an extensive cannabis farm with several rooms devoted to growing and harvesting the drug.
A total of 115 plants were seized and a 17-year-old at the address was taken into custody.
Police said they were continuing to take action against those with cannabis farms in Coventry and further afield.
The Gangs Unit regularly carries out warrants of this type and has already seized hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of cannabis and other drugs since the start of the year.
Criminals are using more inventive ways to conceal cannabis grows – not just in rooms, but in the back of shops and even underground.
As well as cultivating the drugs, cannabis farms are very dangerous and can pose a serious risk of fire because the electricity meter has often been bypassed and seriously overloaded electrical circuits are close to water-filled pipes.
Plants grown upstairs in a building can also cause floorboards to rot, presenting the danger of collapse.
And sometimes the people working in the ‘farms’ are victims of human trafficking and working against their will.
A spokesperson added: “Every cannabis farm we destroy helps prevent a vicious cycle – the plants won’t end up as street deals, the profits won’t go on to fund other crime, and they won’t ruin lives or pollute our communities.”
Anyone concerned about cannabis farms in their area can visit west-midlands.police.uk/your-options/cannabis-factories for more.
