Two men arrested and large cannabis farm seized in Kensington

We have arrested two men and seized a large cannabis farm following an incident in Kensington yesterday, Monday 7 June.

At around 11.40am, officers attended an address on Halsbury Road and noticed a strong smell of cannabis and suspicious activity. Entry was gained and a cannabis farm with more than 300 plants was found inside, along with equipment.

Two men were detained nearby and a cash and vehicle were also seized.

A 41-year-old man from Finchley, London was arrested on suspicion of cannabis production and acquire/use/possess criminal property.
A 37-year-old man of no fixed abode was arrested on suspicion of cannabis production; acquire/use/possess criminal property; driving without a licence; and driving without insurance. 

Both have been released under investigation pending further enquiries.

Matt Brown, who leads our Cannabis Dismantling Team, said: "This was a large cannabis farm, bringing with it all the usual associated risks to the local community, namely fire, flood and the associated violence and criminal exploitation. The two men are now under investigation as enquiries continue.

"We sometimes see negative comments when removing cannabis farms to the effect of 'what is the harm of cannabis?' and asking why we bother with such work. I want to assure people that we see the harm caused by cannabis and other drugs every day throughout Merseyside and are committed to reducing such risk. We see people being forced to grow cannabis by organised crime groups, to the consequences of violent fallouts connected to local supply, and serious health effects from its use. 

“No law abiding person wants to live next-door to such death-traps and we do all we can to make the streets safer, and ensure that equipment used raises money for local community projects.

"Keep your eyes, ears and noses open to the signs that cannabis is being grown where you live and work and we will keep taking action. All information helps the work we do, so make us aware and we'll be there."

A video in which Matt explains how you can spot signs of cannabis being grown near where you live can be found here - https://youtu.be/rc59i2dsZHM

Some of these signs 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

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.