Police seize drug plants at two houses

Jan 9 2008 by David Himelfield, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Police seize drug plants at two houses

A CANNABIS-growing operation has been intercepted after police found almost 500 plants in two houses in Birkby.

Almost 300 2ft-high plants – believed to be high-strength skunk cannabis – were discovered in a five-bedroom terraced house in Arnold Street.

Police who raided the house at around midnight on Monday also recovered hydroponic kits – used to provide light and water to the plants – and a large quantity of harvested cannabis leaves.

Police went there after a call reporting suspicious activity in the house.

The raid led police to a house on Norwood Road, where 210 small plants were discovered yesterday afternoon.

Police believe nobody was living at either premises.

Huddersfield North Neighbourhood Policing Team have been making inquiries and gathering evidence to make arrests.

Insp Dave Barnett of the team, said: “Consultation with the residents of our neighbourhoods shows that drugs and drug-dealing issues feature high on the list of people's concerns within their communities.

“Once again timely information from a member of the public has led to our being able to prevent a substantial quantity of drugs reaching the streets and, hopefully, to the arrest of the persons responsible.

“Anyone with any information about drugs or any other crime should contact us as soon as possible. Alternatively, ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.”

The raids are the latest in a series of operations in which police have uncovered “cannabis factories” in Huddersfield.

Plants worth hundreds of thousands of pounds have been seized in a number of raids in the past 12 months.

The latest, two months ago, saw hundreds of plants recovered from a smart detached home on Bradford Road at Fixby.