Man arrested after cannabis farm recovered and decommissioned rocket launcher found in Whiston

Man arrested after cannabis farm recovered and decommissioned rocket launcher found in Whiston

A man was arrested after a cannabis farm was recovered and a decommissioned rocket launcher was found in a property in Whiston.

At around 10.30am on Sunday 9 October, officers attended a property on Windy Arbour Road and discovered 47 cannabis plants growing in a bedroom.

They also seized a large amount of harvested cannabis being dried out in another bedroom, 14 sandwich bags containing cannabis and three sets of scales.

A military grade rocket launcher was also discovered, which had thankfully been decommissioned, and had been kept as a souvenir.

A 38-year-old man from Whiston was arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis, possession with intent to supply, possession of a prohibited weapon and abstracting electricity without authority.

He was taken to custody for questioning and has been released under investigation.

Scottish Power attended and made the electrics safe.

The premises was made safe by our Cannabis Dismantling Team and our enquiries are ongoing.

Community Policing Inspector for Knowsley, Mark Berry, said: “The rocket launcher was a surprising find, and thankfully it was a decommissioned weapon.

“We also seized a significant hoard of cannabis that was being harvested and dried out and has now been taken off our streets making the community a safer place to live.

“The dangers posed by cannabis farms and extracting electricity illegally in this manner poses a serious dangerous risk of fire and flooding to residents living nearby, especially when criminals tinker with the wiring and overload plugs.

“If you spot any signs that cannabis is being grown near where you live and work please let us know so that we can continue to take action. Any information helps residents and the work we do, so make us aware and we will investigate.”

A video in which Matt Brown, head of our Cannabis Dismantling Team 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. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.