Man arrested following drugs recovery in Stockbridge Village

A man was arrested yesterday, Wednesday 4 September, after drugs were recovered from an address in Stockbridge Village.

At around 11.20am officers attended the property and discovered a large quantity of white and brown powder, suspected to be cocaine and heroin. They also found equipment to grow cannabis in one of the rooms along with paraphernalia to supply drugs.

The electricity meter had been abstracted without authority. Scottish Power have attended and have made the electrics safe.

A 43-year-old man from Stockbridge Village was arrested on suspicion of Criminal Damage, Possession of a Controlled Class A drug, suspected cocaine, Possession of a Controlled Class B drug, cannabis, possession with intent to supply a controlled Class A drug, suspected heroin, and abstracting electricity without authority. He is still in police custody for questioning.

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

Huyton Neighbourhood Inspector Jen Murray said: "This arrest is part of our proactive work to ensure we take offenders supplying drugs off our streets.

“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, which puts lives at risk, especially when criminals tinker with the wiring and overload plugs.

“Those involved in organised crime and drug supply have no thought for anyone other than themselves, their criminal intent and greed. This criminal activity is hugely damaging to our communities, which often involves intimidation, violence and creating fear in the neighbourhood.

“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.