Police warn of dangers posed by cannabis farms in residential areas

People are being warned of the dangers posed by cannabis farms in residential areas after police closed down a large-scale operation located in a terraced house.

North Wales Police arrested a man at the house where plants were being grown over a number of floors on a street in West Rhyl.

As the police worked to dismantle the farm, local residents were warned of the risks cannabis production pose to the wider community.

Dangers

Chief Inspector Dave Cust from North Wales Police, said: “The criminals who set up these grows have no consideration for other members of the community. This particular one was in a residential area with houses on either side.

“The dangers posed by growing this Class B drug include modern slavery, general crime and fire. The property was fitted with specialist equipment, which included a lot of electrical re-wiring, all of which poses a big fire risk.

“They had tapped into the mains supply to bypass the meters by lifting floorboards and digging out some of the floor to get to the main cable from the street.  As such, before we can do work it has to be made safe by Scottish Power.

“Cannabis farms often look normal at first glance, but blacked out windows, a sickly aroma and the sound of industrial fans can be just some of the giveaway signs that a farm is running behind closed doors.

The police say signs to look out for if a property is being used as a cannabis farm are:

Powerful, distinctive sweet, sickly aroma

Frequent visitors throughout the day and night

Blacked-out windows

High levels of condensation on windows

Noise from fans

Large amounts of rubbish

Unusual adaptations, such as lots of wiring and fans coming out of the building

Signs someone may be a victim of modern slavery are:

They do not speak English

Signs of physical abuse

Malnutrition

Lack of basic hygiene facilities

Restriction on movement or not allowed to leave property

Food parcels being dropped off

CCTV around the building

Chief Inspector Dave Cust added: “We are working hard to disrupt and deter organised crime groups and to help stop neighbourhoods being exploited by these criminals.

I would urge anyone who suspects a cannabis farm to either contact us on 101 or call the independent, anonymous Crimestoppers hotline on 0800 555 111.”