Cannabis worth £1m discovered in Northern Ireland drug factory
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Version 0 of 1. The vigilant “bloodhound” noses of a police patrol in Northern Ireland have helped uncover a cannabis factory with an estimated street value of £1m worth of the drug. The factory was discovered after the Police Service of Northern Ireland raided a property in Portadown. A spokesman said two officers smelt an unusual aroma in the air in the Church Street area of the County Armagh town on Wednesday. Initially, the PSNI said the search had uncovered £500,000 worth of cannabis at the property. However, on Thursday the police upgraded the drugs haul to close to £1m. The PSNI said two men who had been arrested, aged 36 and 21, were assisting with enquiries. Stephen Wright, a detective chief inspector, said: “Officers on patrol in this area noticed a smell of cannabis and their subsequent enquiries led them to this cannabis factory. We are pleased to have removed this amount of cannabis from circulation in our community and I would urge anyone who has information in relation to drugs to contact us immediately on 101.” Last month the PSNI issued “scratch and sniff” cards, bearing a cannabis scent, across the region to counter the increasing number of cannabis factories being discovered in Northern Ireland. The scratch cards contain an element that replicates the smell of cannabis in its growing state, which is different to the smell of the herb being smoked. The police said the cards would help the public detect cannabis production plants. The cards also carry an assurance from the PSNI reading: “It’s completely safe; there are no drugs in the card, it’s just the smell of the plant.” Police began distributing the cards after crime figures revealed a 44% increase in cannabis factories across Northern Ireland in 2013-14. |