Skunk Weed

Police and their partners seek community assistance - Berkshire East

Police have destroyed three cannabis factories in Maidenhead over the past six days, prompting an urgent call for residents and landlords to be vigilant and to come forward with any information.

The first cannabis factory was discovered in St Marks Road last Wednesday (10/1), followed by a second in Halifax Road the day after (11/1), and a third in Boyn Valley Road yesterday (15/1).

All three rented properties, which were searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act, had been converted for the cultivation of cannabis plants under artificial lights, similar to a number of other cannabis factories that have been closed throughout the country.

The properties were unoccupied at the time of the warrants being executed, and no arrests have been made at this time. However inquiries are on-going to locate those involved.

Det Insp Nick Evans, part of the Falcon team in Berkshire East, said: The discovery of these cannabis factories has prevented thousands of pounds worth of cannabis entering the streets of Berkshire East and surrounding areas.

Those involved in such activity are clearly taking advantage of properties available to rent in the area, and I would therefore urge private landlords in particular to be vigilant and ensure that vigorous checks are completed on those renting.

Regular checks to the properties should be carried out and any suspicious activity should be reported immediately.

Local residents are also encouraged to help us by reporting suspicious premises. There are often telltale signs to look out for which include the windows of the property being permanently covered or blacked out, gardening equipment left outside or a pungent smell emanating from inside.

Ch Insp Jim Templer, deputy police commander for the Royal Borough, said: It is important that we work together as a community to prevent further factories being set up, as not only do they fuel crime but also pose a serious hazard in terms of personal safety. They cause serious damage to properties when they are set up and draw more electricity than most homes, which can be extremely unstable and present a potential fire hazard.

The recent discoveries in Maidenhead are exceptional and I would like to reassure residents that the matter is being fully investigated.

Maidenhead's fire station commander, Matt Frayne, said: "These factories present a real fire risk due to the enormous amount of heat generated by the heat lamps used to germinate the plants, which are pumping out heat 24-hours a day. An additional factor is that these buildings tend to have been insulated to allow the heat to build up but also to prevent the lights showing outside the building.

We have found that the power has often been sourced illegally and the buildings are often derelict, so have no smoke detectors or other safety precautions. These premises represent a very real danger to the firefighters who are called to deal with incidents there and we welcome the news that the police have been successful in closing several down.

Since July last year, police in Berkshire East, which includes Maidenhead, have shut down a total of 14 cannabis factories. This figure includes the latest three discovered over the past six days. Of the 11 others, one was found in Bracknell, one in Maidenhead and the remaining nine in the Slough area.

The majority of these converted properties, as previously mentioned, were privately rented; however there have been occasions when the property has been rented by a letting agency.

Intelligence and inquiries carried out also reveal that the majority of these cannabis factories have been set up and organised by Vietnamese nationals.

In May last year, three Vietnamese nationals were jailed for a total of seven-and-a-half years, with the recommendation that they be deported on their release, following the discovery of a cannabis factory at a house in Slough.

Det Insp Evans said: Cannabis cultivation maybe seen by criminals as a low risk, high profit industry, but sentences such as this should send out a clear message that cannabis production is a serious offence and that offenders will be brought to justice. As part of raising awareness and gaining the support of the community and landlords, police will be writing to a number of landlords to inform them of the recent discoveries, as well as to advise them on ways in which they can help police to prevent further properties being targeted and converted.

Landlords; top tips include: -

Ensure references are provided and verifiable identification is sought  copy of a passport is recommended

Visit your property as often as possible to detect any early signs of criminality

Report any suspicious activity to police via the 24- hour Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505 or Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 immediately

If you discover that your property has been converted into a cannabis factory, that you do not enter or touch any of the equipment for safety reasons as well potential contamination of evidence

If you have any information about the above message that is of an urgent nature please contact our police enquiry centre on 0845 8 505 505 and state you are responding to this Ringmaster message.