July 30, 2011 6.06 pm This story is over 160 months old

Police raid £1m Lincoln cannabis farm

Cannabis farm: Lincolnshire Police have shut down one of the biggest drug factories ever found in the county.

Police have closed down a large-scale cannabis farm near Lincoln, where 1,000 plants were being cultivated, potentially generating up to £1 million per year.

The raid happened at around 1pm on Thursday, July 28, following a lead from a member of the public who suspected cannabis was being grown at an industrial unit in Farrier Road, North Hykeham.

The unit in Lyndon Business Park is believed to have remained empty for more than a year after the previous owners, Data Cabling Ltd, departed.

Police officers discovered a large-scale cannabis grow in the unit, which was separated into different growing areas with plants at various stages of maturity.

Early indications suggest around 1,000 plants were being cultivated, although exact figure has not yet been established.

If a grow of that size reaches full maturity and the plants are of good enough quality, it can potentially generate around £1 million per year.

Lincolnshire Police DI Katrina Morton said: “Investigations are ongoing and we are appealing for anyone with any information to come forward and help us with our enquiries.

Advice to landlords

“This is good news in the sense that a large amount of drugs have been taken off the streets and will be destroyed,” DI Morton added.

“We have also caused serious disruption to an organised crime group.

“We have had a number of examples of cannabis cultivation operations like this in recent years in Lincolnshire.

“We are repeating our advice to landlords and letting agents in relation to private and commercial properties.

“It is important that as many reference checks as possible on prospective tenants are carried out and entering into long-term “cash-only” deals leaves you very vulnerable to this type of criminality.

“It’s a matter of doing the basics. Ask for passports and driving licences and make sure you have photocopies for your records.”

Source: Lincolnshire Police | Related Report: Lincolnshire Echo