More than 900 cannabis plants discovered in Sandwell raid
Ten men have been arrested and hundreds of cannabis plants worth more than £400,000 were seized after police swooped on a factory unit.
Officers in Tipton discovered more than 900 cannabis plants in an early morning raid following tip-offs from members of the public. The drugs were seized from a unit in Phoenix House, Castle Street, Tipton.
A total of 916 cannabis plants were growing inside the factory unit with an approximate value of £415,000. Ten men aged between 25 and 59 were arrested and have been bailed while further inquiries are carried out.
Pc Mark Devereaux, from Tipton Green Neighbourhood Team which carried out the raid, said: "Officers were acting on local intelligence about suspicious activity at the factory units. We want to reassure our local community that we will always act on information that comes through to us."
Officers swooped at 2am yesterday and spent several hours removing the plants from the factory unit.
It is the latest in a series of recent raids on suspected drugs operations across Sandwell. Last month, officers seized cannabis worth £1 million following two drugs raids which uncovered almost 1,500 plants.
Officers from Sandwell police raided the addresses in West Bromwich and Great Bridge in Tipton. The first property was raided in High Street, West Bromwich, after it was sold at auction a few months ago and officers had kept an eye on it.
Several rooms had been adapted for cannabis cultivation with sleeping quarters for round-the-clock care of the crop. The electricity supply had been bypassed. Approximately 450 plants were taken from the premises for destruction.
Meanwhile, a second warrant was executed in Market Place, Great Bridge, where more than 1,000 plants were discovered over three floors of the building. Police have charged two men with the cultivation of cannabis.
In August, a £500,000 cannabis factory was discovered in a police raid on a Tipton motorbike shop. Officers swooped on the Moto X shop in Bloomfield Road after a tip-off, and found a sophisticated hydroponics set-up and 300 plants.
They also discovered 450 blocks of cannabis resin.
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.
