Man charged following discovery of £1.7 million industrial cannabis farm in Birkenhead

We have found and seized an industrial cannabis farm worth more than £1.7 million and arrested and charged a man, following a warrant in Birkenhead.

On Monday 18 November, officers attended a warehouse in Cleveland Street and found 427 cannabis plants and equipment, with an estimated annual yield of more than £1.7 million. Our Cannabis Dismantling Team (CDT) attended and have since seized all the items.

Enquiries are ongoing.

32-year-old Nathan Hakaim from Liscard was arrested and has been charged with cannabis production and remanded in custody to appear yesterday (Tuesday 19 November) at Wirral Adult Remand Court. He will next appear for trial at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday 17 December.

Matt Brown, who heads up the CDT, said: “This is a massive find which has removed significant harm from the streets of Wirral and beyond. Such a set-up creates such a risk of fire and flood to neighbouring businesses, and organised crime is funded by such reckless enterprises.

“We work daily in communities across Merseyside to find and seize farms in residences and businesses alike. No hard-working person wants to live or work next to such harm, and key to these finds are those very people. Look out for the signs, keep giving us information and we will take positive action to keep your streets safe."

A video where Matt explains how you can spot signs of cannabis being grown 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 sinister

Anyone with information on suspected cannabis growing in their community can contact @MerPolCC, call 101 or come forward anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and we will do the rest.