07/12/2007 00:00:00
UK: Drug factory epidemic growing
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Northamptonshire: Police find 17 in last nine months.
INTERNATIONAL drug rings are targeting Northamptonshire as part of a
national cannabis factory epidemic.
Two drug factories found in Corby this week bring the total discovered
across the county to 17 in the last nine months.
In the last three-and-a-half years a total of 58 such factories have
been found in Northamptonshire.
Many of these have been in the north of the county including in
Kettering, Corby, Cottingham, Rothwell and Wellingborough.
About £750,000 worth of items and plants have been seized from cannabis
factories in and around Corby in the last six months alone.
The figures have been revealed by the police after they found two
abandoned factories in Corby.
Officers believe the cannabis production plants found in Jay Close on
the Oakley Vale estate may have been abandoned after raids last month.
Detective Inspector Neil McMahon, of Northamptonshire Police, said the
rise in cannabis factory finds was largely due to activity by
international drug rings, as well as local criminals.
He said: "It's not a local problem, its a national problem.
"Houses are being rented and used short-term just to become cannabis
factories.
"We have a very organised group of people who are treating the country
as an opportunity to use properties as drug factories.
"It has got an international theme to it.
"The second ones are factories being set up by local criminal gangs."
In June thousands of cannabis plants were uncovered at five addresses in
Cottingham, Rothwell and Kettering.
Last month police found two separate factories in Oakley Vale and the
Lloyds estate in Corby.
Police have spent the last few days dismantling and destroying the
equipment, plant roots and electrics left at the property in Jay Close
in the town.
Det Insp McMahon said: "On discovery it was established that the former
occupants had vacated some time ago, but much of the hydroponics were
still in situ.
"It seems likely the offenders fled the area due to previous police
activity.
"The other day we disposed of a lot of the materials we have seized in
the last six months just in Corby and the surrounding area, and it was
estimated to be worth £750,000."
In the 12 months up to August this year police found 12 cannabis
factories, compared to just one in the previous 12 months.
http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/Drug-factory-epidemic-hits-town.3565488.jp
Source:
http://www.ukcia.org/news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=13065
Author:
Kettering Evening Telegraph via UKCIA
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