Cannabis plants worth £200,000 seized in Leighton Buzzard
Four people have been arrested
Four people have been arrested after £200,000 worth of cannabis plants were seized in Leighton Buzzard.
Officers found the large scale factory when they carried out a warrant on Friday (26 February) at an industrial unit in Grovebury Road.
They discovered four rooms full of cannabis plants over five feet tall.
Four people were arrested on suspicion of the cultivation of cannabis.
Two men in their 20s, a man in his 30s and a man in his 40s were taken into police custody for questioning and have since been released under investigation.
Chief Inspector Lee Haines, from the Central Community team said:
"It can be easy to think that a Class B drug like cannabis has little impact on a community.
"However, drugs, no matter what type, can have a devastating effect on the local area and drives much of the exploitation and anti-social behaviour that blights our communities.
"Our community policing officers deal with the issues that matter most to our local residents and that isn’t just traditional neighbourhood issues anymore, we are also tackling serious organised crime that hides within Bedfordshire."
Meanwhile Detective Inspector Nick Gardner from Bedfordshire Police’s Crime Investigation Team added:
"By destroying and disrupting this operation, we can help protect people from falling victim to other crimes as a result of this, such as exploitation and gang violence, which we often see from the distribution of drugs."
A drugs market profile in Bedfordshire carried out in 2019 found there were 34,000 users of illegal drugs in the county, and people were estimated to be spending around £59 million on cannabis every year.
Anybody who is concerned about reports of drug dealing in their area, or who thinks someone may be being exploited, can report it to police online.
There is also more information about how officers are tackling drugs in Bedfordshire, and the support available, on the force's website.