Bookcase led way to cannabis factory (From Wiltshire Times)

Bookcase led way to cannabis factory

2:00pm Saturday 28th January 2012 in Bradford

POLICE have seized an estimated £225,000 worth of cannabis plants from a Bradford Leigh farm in one of West Wiltshire’s biggest ever drugs raids on Wednesday morning.

The 10.15am raid at Fairfield Piggeries, part of a joint operation between Wiltshire Police and Avon and Somerset Police, saw around 600 plants in various stages of growth taken from the site.

Three men were arrested at the farm, in Leigh Road, for cultivating cannabis, while another man was arrested in Stoke St Michael, in Somerset, as part of the sting.

Cannabis plants were found in six buildings, all linked by a water hose, on the farm land with some of the plants being hidden in a room behind a door which had been made to look like a book case in one of the buildings.

Sergeant Scott Hargreave said: “This is a great result and is one of the biggest factories we’ve ever found in this part of the county. We’d recently received intelligence that there was cannabis being grown at Fairfield Farm and as a part of an inquiry with Avon and Somerset Police we discovered that some of the plants grown here where being supplied in the Avon and Somerset patch, so we carried out a joint operation.

“There was quite a sophisticated set-up on the farm to hide the plants. They had a door mocked up as a bookcase, which looked like something from a James Bond film, while they’d gone to extreme measures to insulate the roofs of the buildings to avoid detection from heat sensors.”

Sgt Hargreave said that usually there would be three crops of the plants throughout the year which could be worth an estimated £600,000.

Around 30 officers took part in Wednesday’s operation which included two dog units, the dedicated crime team and other support teams.

The armed response group also seized seven guns during the raids at Fairfield Piggeries.

PC Frank Cavill, of the armed response group, said: “There is a certificate holder for the firearms but these are being taken for now pending the result of the criminal investigation when the man may or may not get them back depending on the outcome.”

Wiltshire Police hope this raid will deter others from starting their own cannabis factories.

Sgt Hargreave said: “We are not exactly sure how long these plants have been here but we’d like to think we nipped it in the bud at an early stage.

“Wiltshire Police as well as Avon and Somerset Police want to stress that any supply or distribution of drugs will not be tolerated and we will act robustly to target any individuals involved in the cultivation or supply of all kinds of drugs.

“We’d also like any members of the public who have information about crimes of this nature to come forward.”

Any information on illegal drug activity can be reported by calling police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.