Police find £100k haul of cannabis after tip-off

POLICE uncovered £100,000 worth of cannabis after neighbours became suspicious about bags of fertiliser dumped in a skip outside. Officers raided the house on Ferniehill Road, Moredun, after the tip-off and are also understood to have seized 
cannabis-growing equipment.
By David O’Leary
Published 1st Sep 2012, 13:03 BST

No arrests have yet been made and inquiries are ongoing.

Neighbours were said to have become suspicious when the empty fertiliser bags appeared.

One local resident, who asked not to be named, said: “You’d often see three or four Oriental looking guys coming and going from the property late at night. At first everyone thought that they were shift workers but then we spotted big empty bags of fertiliser and compost in the skip outside.

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“It was then that everyone realised what they were up to. The owner of the house rang the police on Thursday and we were stunned to see the police arrive just hours later.

“Three police cars and a load of vans just quietly pulled into the street around teatime. Things are usually pretty quiet around here, I suppose that’s why they set up here.”

A police spokesman confirmed that no arrests had yet been made and that further inquiries were being made.

Earlier this year, the Evening News revealed how 30 
cannabis plants a day were being recovered in the Lothians as police crack down on the gangs behind the trade in the illegal drug.

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Gangsters from China, Malaysia and Vietnam are said to be behind the majority of the cannabis farm operations.

A police spokesman said: “Cannabis cultivations are a serious fire risk not only to the property they are sited within, but to surrounding properties as well. The majority of cultivations fund other serious crimes, such as human trafficking, prostitution and money laundering, and Lothian and Borders Police are committed to tackling this issue.

“To do so we rely on information from the public, and we would urge residents to be aware of the signs of a cannabis cultivation, which could include an unusual sweet smell from the premises, or that the windows of the property are permanently covered from the inside, with foil or bin bags used to line the windows.

“In addition, the noise of equipment such as fans and heaters may be audible, and the tenants may not live on the premises but visit regularly, possibly at odd times.”

Related topics:PoliceNeighboursLothians