Police swoop on Mansfield cannabis farm - and find a second across the street

Officers from the Mansfield Operation Reacher team forced their way into a property on Somersall Street at about 7.30am.

Inside they found more than 120 mature cannabis plants with a street value of tens of thousands or pounds.

However, during routine house-to-house enquiries, officers became suspicious of another property directly over the road.

And, a force spokesman said, as they took a closer look a suspect was seen to run from the back door.

The suspect was chased down and detained – and a further 100 mature cannabis plants were found inside the property.

The spokesman said the plants will now be taken away and destroyed, while ‘a range of sophisticated growing and electrical equipment has been put beyond future use’.

He said intelligence materials were also seized.

Two men, aged 38 and 32, were arrested on suspicion of cannabis cultivation and remain in police custody.

Wrongdoing

Sergeant Tony Bailey, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Clearly we had very strong reason to suspect wrongdoing at the first property, but the second really was an unexpected bonus.

“We are aware some people see this cannabis as ‘only a bit of weed’, but cultivation on this scale is very often linked to very serious organised criminal gangs from home and abroad who are often willing to use extreme violence in order to protect their investment.

“Industrial cannabis grows of this type are also extremely dangerous – especially when thy are contained within terraced properties.

“The sheer amount of heat involved – almost always generated from an illegally bypassed electricity supply – poses a hugely increased fire risk to neighbouring properties.

“We won’t tolerate drug production in our town and will continue acting on local intelligence to put drug dealers out of businesses.”

It is not the first time a cannabis farm has been discovered on Somersall Street.

More than 100 plants were were discovered in a property in June, after a member of public reported that the drug and growing equipment were being moved into a nearby car.

Sgt Bailey said anyone with suspicious about properties near is urged to call police on 101.

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