A HIGH-profile campaign to crack down on cannabis cultivation is being
led by Cheshire Police who are urging members of the public in Warrington to help them tackle the growing problem.
It is part of a regional campaign and will also work to dispel the myth that using cannabis is harmless.
Detective Chief Inspector Pete Shaw, from the crime operations department, said: “We are fully committed to tackling drugs supply and use in Cheshire. We can only act if members of communities are willing to work with us, information is the key to disrupting the supply of cannabis on the streets.”
He said neighbourhood officers are at the forefront of the campaign and will use the close relationships they have with local communities.
“Production and cultivation is more of a problem for society today than ever before. Organised crime gangs use coercive methods on some of the most vulnerable people in our society to force them to grow cannabis for their profit,” he said.
“The involvement of organised crime gangs has coincided with increases in the strength and potency of cannabis. Research is now suggesting there is a definite link between the increase in cannabis strength and mental health issues.”
More than 5,120 cannabis factories containing an excess of 345,000 plants with an estimated potential street value of around £140 million have been discovered across the North West in the last three years.
Police say there has been an increase in the number of cannabis factories across the region with a steady rise in the number of smaller cannabis farms, often in rental properties, which are linked to organised crime groups.
During the month-long regional campaign there will be an increase in police activity including several “strike days” to raise awareness of the problem and urge people who suspect cannabis is being grown in their neighbourhoods to call police.
Police ask members of the public to contact them on the non-emergency number 101 if they suspect cannabis farms are operating in their community, or to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Pictures show previous cannabis farms unearthed by police in Grappenhall and Thelwall areas of Warrington in recent years.
