Three men arrested after officers uncovered a cannabis farm in Walton

We have arrested three men after officers uncovered a cannabis farm with over 400 plants inside a property in Walton.

At around 10.20pm last night (Thursday 2 December) officers who were on patrol in the area entered a property on Walton Breck Road after spotting a strong heat source coming from the loft of the address.

Three men were found inside the address and a cannabis farm with eight rooms full of plants.

Two men aged 34 and 36 from Liverpool were arrested on suspicion of cannabis production.

A 42-year-old man from Liverpool was also arrested on suspicion of modern slavery and cannabis production.

They were taken to a police station in Merseyside where they were questioned by police and remain in custody.

Detective Sergeant Steve Twidale said: “Thanks to the vigilance of our officers we have uncovered a huge volume of cannabis that could have caused devastating fires or flood risks and threatened the lives of families living in the area.

“Although three men have been arrested our investigation continues, and we’re keen to hear from anyone who might have seen any suspicious activity or vehicles near the property on Walton Breck Road in recent weeks, or captured anything on CCTV, dashcam or other means.

“Your information could be key in finding any suspected drugs being grown or supplied where you are, let us know and we will keep take necessary action to protect our communities.”

A video in which Matt Brown, who leads our specialist Cannabis Dismantling Team (CDT)  explains how you can spot signs of cannabis being grown near where you live can be found here - https://youtu.be/rc59i2dsZHM

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

Anyone with information on suspected drug production or criminal activity in their community can contact @MerPolCC, call 101 or come forward anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.