Cannabis farm worth £1.2m unearthed in former Selkirk mill

Author: Ally McGilvrayPublished 28th Nov 2023
Last updated 28th Nov 2023

Police have confirmed they've unearthed one of the biggest cannabis farms ever found in the Scottish Borders.

Plants with an estimated street value of £1.2 million have been discovered in a derelict mill in Selkirk.

Officers swooped on the former Forest Mill building in Dunsdale Road last Tuesday (November 21st), but it's understood concerns around the safety of the multi-storey property - which has lain vacant for more than a decade - prevented them getting full access until now.

It's the third cannabis farm to be found in the Borders in the last two months - following recent raids in Galashiels and Hawick.

No-one has been arrested in connection with the latest seizure but police say enquiries are ongoing.

Chief Inspector Stuart Fletcher, Police Scotland's Area Commander for the Scottish Borders, said: “Drugs cause misery in our communities and this is a significant recovery of cannabis plants. It is part of our ongoing work to tackle the supply of drugs across the area and keep people safe.

“We will always look to take action as a result of information about illegal substances and those responsible for their manufacture and supply. Local people have a vital part to play and I would urge anyone with information or concerns about drugs to contact us.

“Anyone with information relating to this particular recovery should contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0859 of Tuesday, 21 November, 2023, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Earlier this month, a cannabis cultivation believed to be worth around £500,000 was unearthed just six miles away at the former Warehouse nightclub in Overhaugh Street, Galashiels.

And, last month, more than 400 cannabis plants were seized by police, 11 miles away in the opposite direction, in Hawick. Two men from Albania have been charged in connection with the raid on the former Buccleuch Hotel in Trinity Street.

Last year, two men were also arrested after cannabis plants, estimated to have a street value of around £1m, were recovered from an outbuilding in Newmill on Teviot, south of Hawick. in what was previously thought to be one of the biggest cannabis farms ever discovered in the Borders.

For more on this story, follow us on TikTok...

For more stories from the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland, bookmark our new home page - https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/borders/news/

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.