Community intelligence leads to discovery of cannabis factory

As a direct result of community intelligence which led to the discovery of a cannabis factory in Wellingborough, a 32-year-old man has been jailed after pleading guilty to the production of a Class B drug.

Following reports that a cannabis factory had been set up inside a residential property in Lister Road, officers from Wellingborough Neighbourhood Policing Team executed a warrant on the afternoon of April 2, this year.

As members of the policing team entered the front of the address, the sole occupant of the house – Indrit Dema – ran from the rear of the house into the path of the awaiting officers and promptly arrested.

A total of 60 cannabis plants in various stages of growth and worth up £75,000 were found in four of the rooms and loft area along with the associated equipment required to produce the Class B drug.

Dema, of no fixed address, was charged with the production of a controlled Class B drug – namely cannabis – and appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on April 3, where he was remanded in custody.

The case was transferred to Northampton Crown Court and on May 22, Dema pleaded guilty to the single charge, and he was sentenced to 45-months in prison and ordered to pay a £187 surcharge.

The court also ordered for the drugs and paraphernalia to be destroyed along with a forfeiture order for £200 - seized from Dema at the time of his arrest - to be redirected to a fund which support Northamptonshire charities.

Lead investigator – PC Tom Wileman of Wellingborough Neighbourhood policing officer, said: “Community intelligence was key in the discovery of this cannabis factory so firstly, I would like to thank those people for reporting their suspicions and helping us tackle this issue.

“Cannabis factories can blight an area, and no one should feel miserable about where they live and having a factory of this nature in your local area really brings down a neighbourhood so, I hope this provides reassurance that we will act on information provided.

“Landlords should also be aware cannabis factories cause thousands of pounds worth of damage to a property and the impact on them financially is huge as they will bear the cost of the clean-up and repair.

“I would also encourage both members of the public and landlords to take a look at the signs below and let us know of anything suspicious which may indicate a cannabis factory is being set up or in operation, so we can take it down and prosecute those responsible for setting it up.”

Signs:

• Curtains and windows closed and drawn, even in hot weather
• Strange comings and goings from the address with vehicles attending very late at night
• Smells coming from the address that could indicate cannabis is being grown
• Light coming from roof spaces or leaking through the building in odd places
• Sounds of fans constantly running in the address
• Cables running to and from lampposts nearby
• Rubbish bags full of garden related waste.
• Occupants and visitors who are rarely seen, except at odd hours of the day.
• Condensation on the windows
• Copious amounts of fertiliser being taken to the address at odd times

Advice to landlords:

• Be mindful of the need to conduct regular inspections of the properties you are letting out
• Be sure you are happy with the identity of the tenants before you let out the address and confirm they are the people living there and not sub-letting

If anyone has concerns about drug dealing or any other illegal activities, please report it to us on 101, online at www.northants.police.uk/ro or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.