Pothead
11-22-2007, 07:31 AM
Police sniff out cannabis factory
Nov 21 2007 by Abby Alford, South Wales Echo
TWO young police community support officers have sniffed out one of the biggest cannabis factories ever seen in Cardiff.
Pcso Jake Lynch, 20, who has been in the job for only eight months, and fellow Psco Mark Hallett, 24, sensed something suspicious in the air while on routine patrol in Canton.
The smell was traced to a house on the corner of Brunswick Street and Beda Road and officers who raided the property yesterday discovered around 200 cannabis plants with an estimated street value of £200,000.
The discovery of the stash of plants is the latest in a series of finds for South Wales Police and highlights the growing problem of cannabis factories, which are increasingly popping up in otherwise respectable residential areas.
Pcso Jake Lynch, of the Canton and Ely Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We came up here about 10 days ago to deal with an abandoned car.
“I caught the whiff of cannabis, so hung around to get a better sniff.
“We came to the conclusion the smell was coming from this house and filed an intelligence report when we got back to the station.”
Chief Superintendent Josh Jones said: “This was a great piece of community policing by two officers new to their roles.”
After Jake and Mark’s discovery, colleagues began to closely scrutinise the house.
The police helicopter was called in and, using its thermal imaging camera, detected an abnormal amount of heat coming from the property, confirming the presence of a sophisticated cannabis-growing operation.
But before yesterday’s raid could go ahead, Sergeant Reg Martin, a former electrician, had to check the property had not been booby-trapped, as those behind the cannabis factories are increasingly wiring door handles and windows to the mains electricity in case the premises are targeted by police.
Sgt Martin said when they went in, they discovered cannabis plants in almost every available space, even in an en-suite bathroom next to the shower.
“This is a very professional job,” he said.
“The factory has been established for at least a couple of months and we believe they have already harvested around £100,000 worth of cannabis.”
But those living near the extended end-of-terrace house in Canton, which has several novelty tea pots lined up below the net curtain in the front window, had not suspected a thing.
One woman who approached the house yesterday to see what all the fuss was about, said she often passed by on her way to the shops but had not seen or smelt anything suspicious.
Inside, officers spent hours dismantling the yards of electrical cable, dozens of electrical transformers and heat lamps that had been rigged up to nurture the plants.
Forensic officers on the scene said the temperature in the bedrooms, which were rammed with plants, must have been well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit thanks to the heat lamps.
No natural air had been allowed to flow into the house as all the windows were closed and had been blacked out.
But, a complex ventilation system comprising yards of silver metallic ducting had been rigged up to remove the potentially toxic fumes from the plants.
Ironically, police believe it was this that lead to the discovery, as the ventilation system had been linked into the chimney, taking the fumes out into the street.
n One woman, believed to be of Vietnamese origin, was arrested following the raid on suspicion of cultivating cannabis.
n In another, unconnected raid on a house in Penygarn Road in Ely, packages of cannabis and £25,000 cash was discovered by police. One man and a woman were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply.
i like the bit where it says...
“I caught the whiff of cannabis, so hung around to get a better sniff."
i bet he did
peace
Nov 21 2007 by Abby Alford, South Wales Echo
TWO young police community support officers have sniffed out one of the biggest cannabis factories ever seen in Cardiff.
Pcso Jake Lynch, 20, who has been in the job for only eight months, and fellow Psco Mark Hallett, 24, sensed something suspicious in the air while on routine patrol in Canton.
The smell was traced to a house on the corner of Brunswick Street and Beda Road and officers who raided the property yesterday discovered around 200 cannabis plants with an estimated street value of £200,000.
The discovery of the stash of plants is the latest in a series of finds for South Wales Police and highlights the growing problem of cannabis factories, which are increasingly popping up in otherwise respectable residential areas.
Pcso Jake Lynch, of the Canton and Ely Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We came up here about 10 days ago to deal with an abandoned car.
“I caught the whiff of cannabis, so hung around to get a better sniff.
“We came to the conclusion the smell was coming from this house and filed an intelligence report when we got back to the station.”
Chief Superintendent Josh Jones said: “This was a great piece of community policing by two officers new to their roles.”
After Jake and Mark’s discovery, colleagues began to closely scrutinise the house.
The police helicopter was called in and, using its thermal imaging camera, detected an abnormal amount of heat coming from the property, confirming the presence of a sophisticated cannabis-growing operation.
But before yesterday’s raid could go ahead, Sergeant Reg Martin, a former electrician, had to check the property had not been booby-trapped, as those behind the cannabis factories are increasingly wiring door handles and windows to the mains electricity in case the premises are targeted by police.
Sgt Martin said when they went in, they discovered cannabis plants in almost every available space, even in an en-suite bathroom next to the shower.
“This is a very professional job,” he said.
“The factory has been established for at least a couple of months and we believe they have already harvested around £100,000 worth of cannabis.”
But those living near the extended end-of-terrace house in Canton, which has several novelty tea pots lined up below the net curtain in the front window, had not suspected a thing.
One woman who approached the house yesterday to see what all the fuss was about, said she often passed by on her way to the shops but had not seen or smelt anything suspicious.
Inside, officers spent hours dismantling the yards of electrical cable, dozens of electrical transformers and heat lamps that had been rigged up to nurture the plants.
Forensic officers on the scene said the temperature in the bedrooms, which were rammed with plants, must have been well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit thanks to the heat lamps.
No natural air had been allowed to flow into the house as all the windows were closed and had been blacked out.
But, a complex ventilation system comprising yards of silver metallic ducting had been rigged up to remove the potentially toxic fumes from the plants.
Ironically, police believe it was this that lead to the discovery, as the ventilation system had been linked into the chimney, taking the fumes out into the street.
n One woman, believed to be of Vietnamese origin, was arrested following the raid on suspicion of cultivating cannabis.
n In another, unconnected raid on a house in Penygarn Road in Ely, packages of cannabis and £25,000 cash was discovered by police. One man and a woman were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply.
i like the bit where it says...
“I caught the whiff of cannabis, so hung around to get a better sniff."
i bet he did
peace