POLICE RAID CANNABIS FARM

Police today revealed they were stepping up their fight against
large-scale cannabis factories after discovering drug barons are
using homes in the county solely to grow the plant.

Norfolk police are among 20 forces taking part in a national
crackdown on the drug producers and called on the public to tip them
off about houses which have been given over entirely to growing vast
amounts of cannabis.

It emerged today that just last week police raided a three-bedroomed
home in St Martin's Road, Norwich, where they found 400 cannabis
plants being grown with a street value of tens of thousands of pounds.

Three Lebanese men were arrested and two have been charged with
conspiracy to produce drugs for supply.

As part of the operation, codenamed Atone, police are asking the
public to look out for telltale signs of cannabis factories being
run from properties in their neighbourhood.

These include the windows of a property being permanently covered,
gardening equipment left outside or a pungent smell coming from inside.

Detective Inspector Tony Deacon, of Norfolk police, said: "This is a
message going out to the public to give us information on where
these premises are being used to cultivate large amounts of cannabis.

"What we are targeting are the people who are more organised in
carrying out these criminal activities. The emerging picture coming
from the Metropolitan Police are that people are letting premises
solely to use to produce cannabis and we are now seeing
that picture emerging in Norfolk.

"We have had one or two examples where we have raided places which
fit what we are looking for."

Det Insp Deacon said the information Norfolk police was after from
the public for this operation was about the large-scale criminal
producers of cannabis, not details of people who just grow one or
two plants for their own use.

Posters and postcards were today being distributed around the county
urging the public to pass on information about homes given over for
cannabis cultivation to the police.

Anyone with information should contact Norfolk police on 0845
4564567 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

The operation will initially last for two weeks but Det Insp Deacon
said it could last longer, depending on the intelligence the police receive.