Police swoop on cannabis farm death trap

Photo: Darren Robinson

DANGER: PC Chris Julien peers at the seriously overloaded electricity supply

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POLICE were faced with a death trap when they seized cannabis plants worth £250,000 after swooping on a house in Werneth yesterday.

One of the heat lamps used to grow almost 500 plants was wired straight into the 240-volt mains.

And Sgt Rob Howarth said: “It was a deliberate booby trap to kill. Anyone touching it would have got a massive shock.

“This is the second one we have found — there was one at the Spinner’s Tavern, Lees Road, some time ago — and we’re aware that the cannabis growers are now using booby traps either to stop someone else stealing it or to stop the police.

The house, at 148 Manchester Road, appeared empty from the outside, but was home to a cannabis farm covering three storeys and the cellar. The people growing the plants, which were due to be harvested, had smashed through a wall in the cellar to one in an empty adjoining house to grow more plants. Sgt Howarth said the suspicion was that the culprits were in the process of expanding to fill the two houses.

“The plants have an estimated street value of £500,000, which would have ended up on the streets,” he said.

“We have been able to take a massive amount of drugs off the streets of Oldham, particularly in Werneth, with this operation.”

Residents and police have been concerned about the level of drug dealing on the streets of Werneth for some time, and Sgt Howarth, of the priority neighbourhood policing team, said yesterday’s haul was a good result.

He said: “We have some lines of inquiry but have not made any arrests yet.

“There is evidence that someone had been sleeping in the house near the dining room area, and we believe they are of oriental origin.”

The called in Ian Whitead, an inspector from Electricity North West, part of United Utilities emergency service, to inspect the house and he found the booby trapped lamp as he searched with a police officer.

“There was so much power going through it was melting the wires,” said Sgt Howarth. “Around £10,000 worth of electricity had been illegally abstracted.”

Anyone who has any information or can help identify the people involved in the cannabis farm, should contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555 111.

The number can also be used to give police information about any other cannabis-growing operation.