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£500,000 of cannabis found in Tipton shop raid

[gallery] A £500,000 cannabis factory was discovered in a police raid on a motorbike shop in the Black Country.

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Officers swooped on the Moto X shop in Tipton yesterday after a tip-off, where they found a sophisticated hydrophonics set-up and 300 plants.

They also discovered 450 blocks of cannabis resin, known in the industry as 'nine bars' and which are half the size of a house brick and valued at around £50 each.

Police said today it was one of the biggest seizures of its kind this year.

A 42-year-old woman was arrested in connection with the raid, which involved 12 officers from the Tipton Green and Crime and Priorities team at 8.15am yesterday.

They were acting on a tip-off about the shop, which sells motorcycle accessories from its base in Bloomfield Road.

Neighbourhood Sergeant Dave Rogers said: "We received an anonymous tip-off from the community and executed a raid on the premises.

"We will be interviewing the woman arrested, and hopefully she will be able to assist with our ongoing inquiries."

"Over a 12-month period this has been one of the largest drugs finds seen.

"We are really pleased with the result. Residents often tell us at our public meetings that this is a concern to them. Hopefully this will reassure the public we are doing all we can to tackle drug cultivation in the area and arrest those responsible."

Neighbours living close to the property spoke of their surprise following the raid.

Alan Wainwright, aged 68, said: "I have been able to smell something a few times while in the back or in my shed, back to around the beginning of the year, if not before. I thought it was someone smoking, and it seemed to be when the wind was blowing from the one way.

"I am surprised that was found there, because you don't see a lot of movement."

Another neighbour, Dorothy Rich, 82, added: "You don't know what's going on on your own doorstep, it's a shock."

A telephone number for the shop was ringing out today while a website address for the store was said not to exist.

The woman was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply and remains in police custody today.

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