Drug farms on our doorstep
Up to two cannabis farms are being discovered in the West Midlands every day as police struggle to tackle a surge in the illicit drugs trade, figures today reveal.
Almost 700 drug factories, usually in domestic homes, were raided in the region last year – a rise of around 400 per cent in just four years.
The size of the farms discovered has also increased significantly as criminals look to boost their profits.
Many organised crime groups from South East Asia have moved to this country from Canada because of a crackdown there.
Now forces like West Midlands Police are attempting to flush out gangs that have set up a sophisticated network of cannabis farms. Today detectives appealed to residents to report anything suspicious in their street.
They say a significant number of the 672 home-grown drug factories raided in the West Midlands last year followed tip-offs from neighbours. In 2004 the figure was just 174.
Figures released by Staffordshire Police reveal officers uncovered 31 cannabis farms in 2006 and only two had more than 100 plants. Last year police in the county raided 13 in May alone, discovering more than 600 plants growing at four locations. Two cannabis farms were discovered in Willenhall at the weekend, one when a fire was caused by the equipment used to cultivate the plants.
Simon Ballinger, of the UK Border Agency in the Midlands said: "We have assisted police across the West Midlands. We have encountered over 130 foreign nationals and taken steps to remove those with no right to be in the UK."
Special report in Tuesday's Express & Star.
