Thousands of cannabis plants worth up to £2.5m discovered in abandoned print works in Newport
Thousands of cannabis plants worth an estimated £2.5 million on the street have been uncovered by police in a town centre raid.
The drug farm was discovered in Newport earlier today after officers received a report of a possible break-in at the abandoned former Newport Advertiser print works in Bellmans Yard, just off the High Street in the town.
When officers entered the building around 2,800 mature cannabis plants were found.
Police said it is expected that the number of plants could even increase as further searches are carried out.
Officers said there was also further evidence at the scene of a grow that had already been cropped – and that people may have been living in the building.
The electricity within the building had also been tampered with.
Officers said no one was discovered at the premises, and no arrests have been made.
West Mercia Police Chief Inspector Richard Bailey said: “Cannabis farms like this are often linked to serious and organised crime gangs, the drugs they sell have a negative impact on our communities and can lead to other localised criminality.
"The cultivation of these crops can also lead to the harm and exploitation of vulnerable people.
“Shutting down this grow today shows we will not tolerate criminal activity within our communities.”
Officers have urged anyone with information about drug operations to contact them via the West Mercia Police website, or by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org/.
