£1 million cannabis farm shut down by police

Police closed down a suspected drugs factory after seizing more than 2,000 plants from an industrial unit in Ladywood on Wednesday morning.

Officers from Ladywood West neighbourhood teams with the drones, dogs and operational support units executed a drugs warrant at around 7.45am and discovered growing equipment inside the unit.

The plants are estimated to be worth around £1 million.

Sergeant Richard Bastable, from the Jewellery Quarter neighbourhood team, said: "Today the team have carried out an intelligence led operation which has resulted in a large amount of plants being recovered, significantly disrupting criminality in Birmingham.

"Community intelligence helps us disrupt this sort of criminality. If you have information about crime in your area, please get in touch. We will always act on credible intelligence.

"The message is clear, if you come to this area with intentions of carrying out criminal activity, we will stop you. Protecting our communities is always at the very heart of what we do and we simply will not tolerate it."

The plants will be forensically checked before being destroyed and the equipment has been dismantled.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Police added: "Cannabis farms are very dangerous places and pose a serious risk of fire. Every cannabis farm we destroy also helps prevent a vicious circle.

"The plants won’t end up as street deals, the profits won’t go on to fund other crime, and they won't ruin lives or pollute our communities."