Large cannabis grow found in Derbyshire town after man stopped in Nottinghamshire

A large cannabis grow has been uncovered in a Derbyshire town after a man was stopped by officers in Nottinghamshire.

The 25-year-old Albanian was stopped by officers from Nottinghamshire Police in Radford Road, Hyson Green, yesterday evening (29 December).

The man was found with £16,000 and was arrested on suspicion of money laundering and immigration offences.

A search of an address in Claramount Road, Marlpool, Heanor, which was linked to the man, was carried out shortly after and a large cannabis grow was discovered.

The arrested man remains in police custody as the grow is dismantled.

Detective Inspector Steve Topham said: “This is an excellent example of the cross-border work that goes on day-in-day-out.

“Criminals do not care where one county ends and another begins – but crucially neither do we.

“The cannabis grow found today numbered well in excess of 100 plants and, from the money that was being carried by this man, it is clear that this is the work of organised criminals.

“Like many of the grows we find the criminals had based their operation in a residential street.

“It is really important that people know the signs that a cannabis grow may be in their area as they pose a serious threat to those living nearby. Gangs will bypass electricity meters in order to steal power but in doing so create really serious fires that have been fatal in other parts of the country.

“If you think that a cannabis grow may have been set up in your area then you can contact us, in confidence, at any time.”

Sergeant Matt Daley is from Nottinghamshire Police’s proactive knife crime team, who made the stop, and said: “As part of a team focussing on proactive and preventative work, we will always look at opportunities to act on intelligence and other concerns which may make us suspect someone is involved in crime.

“This was a really good effort between neighbouring forces to relay information about the stop and subsequently inform colleagues in Derbyshire, who conducted a search at the property.

“A large quantity of cannabis has been seized and is now out of circulation, which is really positive for communities.

“Drugs activity can often be linked to wider serious criminality, and that is why we take such issues extremely seriously. This action just goes to show our commitment to working not only to investigate ourselves, but also with other forces to assist and bolster these efforts.”

Signs that a cannabis grow may be in your area:

• A powerful distinctive sweet, sickly aroma
• Frequent visitors throughout the day and night
• Blacked out windows
• Chinks of bright light throughout the night
• Birds gathering on the roof, particularly in cold weather
• In winter, snow melting unusually quickly on the roof
• High levels of condensation on windows
• Noise from fans
• Large amounts of rubbish, including compost bags
• Electricity meter being tampered with/altered and new cabling, sometimes leading to street lighting.

If you think criminals are operating in your community then contact us using any of the below methods:

• Facebook– send us a private message to /DerbyshireConstabulary
• Twitter– direct message our contact centre on @DerPolContact
• Website– complete the online contact form derbyshire.police.uk/ContactUs.
• Phone – call us on 101.

You can also anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111 or by visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org.