Police aim to weed out cannabis farms

POLICE chiefs are pledging a “cannabis famine” as they crackdown on drug growers.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has vowed to blight cannabis crops and weed out and imprison the criminals that set up cannabis farms in local communities.

Operation Broadley involves officers across the North-West locating and destroying cannabis farms set up in rented properties.

Officers say that due to more stringent border controls dealers have switched from importing cannabis to growing it in the UK.

Cannabis cultivation offences in Greater Manchester involving 10 or more plants increased from 1,012 in 2010 to 1,180 last year — up 16 per cent.

Over the same period, GMP has increased seizures of cannabis plants by 11 per cent and made 1,458 arrests for these offences in 2011 — an increase of 20 per cent on the previous year.

Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug in the UK and was reclassified from a Class C to a Class B drug in 2009. Possession can lead to anything from an £80 on-the-spot to an unlimited fine and up to five years imprisonment. Dealing can lead to arrest and up to 14 years in prison.

Police are urging residents to look out for and report the tell-tale signs of properties being used for cannabis production, including windows being constantly covered from the inside, people visiting the property for short periods and at unusual times and no one actually living at the property.

There may also be gardening equipment and large quantities of compost stored in the rear of the premises, vents protruding from the roof or windows and a pungent odour in the vicinity.

GMP Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney said: “Criminals involved in running these cannabis farms are part of organised gangs prepared to use extreme violence and intimidation to protect and expand their illegal business interests.

“They plough profits made from drug dealing into other serious criminal activities and force users to turn to theft and burglary to fund their addiction.

“We have made more than 3,500 arrests in hundreds of raids in the last three years and will be working hard over the next few months to put cannabis farmers out of business and destroy their crops.

“The people of Greater Manchester can help to stop these evil people planting their seeds of destruction in our communities by keeping an eye out for the tell-tale signs of cannabis farming and reporting their suspicions either directly to us on 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800-555 111.”