More than 15 kilos of cannabis, with an estimated street value of £150,000, has been discovered in a disused bakery in Oldham.
Police raided the former Croda Food Services unit on Falcon Street just after 5pm last night.
A cannabis bush weighing 15.5 kilos, concealed in 31 vacuum-packed bags, was found inside the lock-up.
Superintendent Denise Worth said: “This is yet another massive find for police in Oldham – but more importantly for the people who live in this area who time and time again have told us how fed up they are with drug dealing on their doorstep.
“This bakery looks as if it was being used as a storage and distribution centre for a huge amount of cannabis bush and so to have seized such a large amount of drugs means we have effectively stopped this cannabis from getting onto our streets where it can cause untold harm.”
The plants have now been recovered for forensic analysis and police are continuing to investigate who was behind the operation.
“Thanks to the work we are doing day-in day-out with our partner agencies, Greater Manchester Police is making huge inroads into organised criminality in Oldham, disrupting and dismantling the organised crime groups who cause so much hardship for innocent people,” said Superintendent Worth.
“This is yet one more fantastic result for everyone because what it means, in real terms, is £150,000 that might otherwise have found its way into a criminal’s bank account and a huge stash of drugs that was intended for the streets has been taken out of circulation.
“We know that organised criminal groups involved in cannabis cultivation use residential and business properties to store the drugs, bringing criminality into law-abiding communities.
“That is why closing this drug den is a victory for everyone.”
Image via google maps, with thanks
