Growing concern

TWO more cannabis farms have been uncovered in Oldham in the continuing police crackdown on drugs.

A total of 164 cannabis plants were found in the cellar of a house in Rochdale Road, Royton, at 8.30am on Friday — along with what’s believed to be a quantity of Class A drugs.

A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis and possession of Class A drugs. He is now in police custody following the raid.

The find follows a separate cannabis farm being discovered in Rydal Walk, Greenacres, at 8am on Wednesday. Police forced entry, recovering 12 mature cannabis plants that were nearly 6ft in height.

No-one was at the address at the time of the raid.

In both cases, the electricity supply had been tampered with and the electric board was called out to make the premises safe.

In Rydal Walk, it is estimated that £1,400 worth of electricity has been used by illegal means. The successful raids follow a third haul last Monday, when dozens of cannabis plants worth several thousand pounds were uncovered in a house in Walkers Court, Springhead.

Sgt Rob Howarth, from Oldham’s Operational Support Unit, said: “We are working closely with neighbourhood police teams and the local community to target the production and distribution of drugs throughout the borough.

“We are determined and committed to catching drug dealers and my message to people who are involved in this type of criminality is that sooner or later we will catch you.”

The raids are part of Operation Dragonfly, set up in 2007 to crackdown on cannabis farms.

Residential properties are often developed into cannabis factories and there are often distinctive signs that can alert people.

They include people arriving and leaving properties at random times of the day and night, a pungent aroma, large amounts of electrical wiring, light fittings, chemicals or compost being delivered and blacked out windows or bright lights all night long.