Police uncover Halesowen cannabis factory

These were the scenes at a cannabis farm uncovered by police during a raid at a house in the Black Country.

The operation was "sophisticated" and would have taken weeks to set up, officers say.

They found about 500 plants packed into three bedrooms and an attic at the house in Masters Lane, Halesowen, at 10am yesterday.

The upstairs of the house had been converted into the cannabis farm with specialist water and air pipes set up in all rooms, the police said. Light and heating lamps to cultivate the plants had also been installed and fitted with timers.

A junction box had been fitted to accommodate all of the equipment and pipes ran down the staircase to pump water to the plants.

Two men were arrested at the scene and are still helping police with their inquiries. Officers acted on information from members of the public and first carried out a drive-by of the house to find how best to access the property.

The team of eight police officers eventually entered through the back door of the house using standard equipment to ram it open. The plants and equipment were found during a check of the house.

Sgt Jimmy Jones, of Dudley Police, said: "This was an extremely sophisticated set-up taking into account how the equipment was installed.

"It would have taken a while to put in place — days or even weeks."

The plants were in various stages of maturity with the majority still in pots. Some were being dried out for use on the top of heating lamps.

Sgt Jones said there was no estimate for the street value of the plants yet. He said the value would depend on the strength of the plants when they are anaylsed.

It is the latest in a series of raids on cannabis factories in Dudley borough.

Last month more than 40 cannabis plants with a street value of £30,000 were seized when police officers swooped on a terraced house in Russells Hall Road, Dudley.