Little Common cannabis factory
A NINE-hundred plant cannabis factory crammed into a Little Common maisonette was raided as a result of what police describe as "good community intelligence work".
Officers executing a search warrant entered the first and second floor premises at the junction of Cooden Sea Road and Meads Road early on Tuesday.
They found a fully-equipped hydroponics factory.
Inspector Martin Mann said 500 mature plants had been found growing under an elaborate lighting and heating system. A further 400 younger plants were also being grown.
The find is the eighth cannabis factory to be raided in Bexhill so far this year.
In all, five small rooms were crammed wall-to-wall in a high intensity factory-style operation. The methods used followed closely on those in drug-growing operations discovered in De La Warr Road, Sidley Street (three), Havelock Road, Fairmount Road and Sutherland Avenue.
Electrical switchboards had been made up to control the lighting/heating system. The bathroom was filled with plastic containers filled with exotic plant fertiliser.
Inspector Mann said the raid resulted from good community intelligence work by local Police Community Support Officer Rachel Streeter.
At the scene, PCSO Streeter said: "It came from talking around in the community. I think there had been work going on here for some time.
"A number of people approached me in the street about their concerns that something was going on here.
"It due to local intelligence work in the community. It is thanks to local people being observant, looking out and bringing it to our attention.
"As a result we were able to check it out and find there was a cannabis factory.
"It's what we are here for.
"We want to let people know that if they have information they can tell us in confidence; that they have nothing to worry about and can come and speak to us."
Hydroponics factories are increasingly being used to produce "skunk" cannabis.
The drug is ten times stronger than ordinary cannabis and can induce brain damage. Instead of using the plant's leaves, only the tips are used for the production of the drug.
Each mature cannabis plant is worth about 150 to illegal growers who, cashing in on an illegal market in which skunk has a street price of 120 an ounce, invest as much as 10,000 for the equipment for each factory.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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