Seven men arrested as part of cannabis production investigation in Merseyside and West Yorkshire

Merseyside Police detectives, working with officers from West Yorkshire Police, have arrested seven people on suspicion of cannabis production offences following warrants in Liverpool and Bradford today, Friday 11 December.

Following a warrant in Anfield, two 25-year-old men were detained and have been arrested on suspicion of cannabis production and taken into custody for questioning.

Further warrants and arrests in Bradford were also carried out, and a cannabis farm found, leading to the arrests of a 35-year-old man and a 19-year-old man on suspicion of cannabis production; and two 24-year-old men and a 32-year-old man on suspicious of conspiracy to supply cannabis.

They have all been taken to police stations for questioning. Our enquiries continue.

Detective Inspector Chris Lowe said: “Today’s activity in Liverpool and Bradford is a continuation of a long-running investigation into suspected large-scale cannabis cultivation across these areas.

“We’ll be questioning all of those arrested and I’d also ask anyone who has information about suspected cannabis cultivation in Merseyside to come forward and tell us what you know.

“Cannabis farms attract significant fire and flood risk, as well as serious and organised crime and associated violence, so we work hard on a daily basis to identify and dismantle such locations, and put those involved before the courts.”

If you have any information about suspected drug production in your area, please contact @MerPolCC, 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.”

Some of the signs that cannabis is being grown are:

• Strange smells and sounds
• Frequent and varied visitors to a property, often at unusual times
• Gardening equipment being taken into a property, such as plant pots, fertiliser, fans and industrial lighting
• Windows are sealed and covered or the curtains are permanently closed
• Heat from an adjoining property
• Birds gathering on a roof in cold weather
• Individually these activities may seem commonplace, however, together may indicate something more suspicious