A drugs warrant executed in Worcestershire this morning (Tuesday 18 June) uncovered a cannabis farm of almost 1,000 plants with an estimated street value of £827,400.
Officers from our Neighbourhood Crime Fighting Team (NCFT) were joined by colleagues from supporting teams at an address on the Mill Lane Industrial Estate in Tenbury Wells on this morning’s raid.
Around 985 plants of various stages of growth were discovered at the site in three rooms over two floors of the premises.
Two men were arrested at the scene on suspicion of the production of cannabis and remain in police custody.
The multi-agency warrant also featured officers from Tenbury Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT), Local Policing Priorities Team (LPPT), County Lines drugs team, police dogs unit and partners at West Midlands Ambulance Service and Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue.
A spokesperson for the NCFT said: “Thanks to concerns raised by the public and good intelligence work by officers, almost 1,000 plants were found in the building which were seized and will now be destroyed, and two men are now in custody.
“Grows like this one are linked to organised criminal gangs whose actions reap harm on the communities we are here to protect and serve.
“The drugs they sell have a negative impact on our communities and can lead to other criminality, or the harm and exploitation of vulnerable people.
“Shutting down this grow today shows we will not tolerate criminal activity within our communities, and that we will act on information provided to us by the public.”
Today’s warrant was also the first time West Mercia Police have deployed their own National Inter-Agency Liaison Officer (NILO) which is a trained and identifiable responder from the emergency services who is a tactical adviser but can assume a command role if required.
Chief Inspector Alexander Denny is the first Home Office-appointed regional police NILO. He worked alongside NILOs from fire and ambulance to make sure risks were mitigated and officers were kept safe from harm in a live situation.
Ch Insp Denny said: “It was good to deploy with NILOs from partner agencies today, the first time this role has been deployed for West Mercia Police.
“NILOs play an important and key role in live situations like this one, reducing risk to officers, identifying skills and resources on the go, and working collaboratively to keep everyone safe from harm.
“Due to NILO collaboration Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) paramedics deployed with police and were on hand to immediately triage a prisoner who suffered an injury to his hand in his efforts to escape.
“Had paramedics not been a part of the resourcing from the outset, an ambulance might not have been able to deploy straight away.”
