Two men arrested after cannabis farm and drugs found in Prescot

Two men have been arrested after a cannabis farm and drugs were discovered in Prescot.

At around midday on Monday 6 March officers attended a property on St Helens Road and discovered around 24 mature cannabis plants in two rooms along with growing equipment.

Following a search of the property, a substantial amount of drugs, believed to be cocaine, was found with drugs equipment.

Scottish Power attended and made the electrics safe.

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

Two men aged 24 years from Prescot were arrested on suspicion of cannabis production, possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, abstracting electricity and possession of offensive weapons in a private place. They have been released under investigation pending further enquiries.

Community Inspector Mark Berry said: “A significant amount of drugs has been removed from our streets which makes the local community a safer place to live, and also from the serious and organised criminals that set up the farms and exploit vulnerable people. 

“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.