Police seize more than £1 million worth of cannabis in Pontypridd

The South Wales force carried out a warrant last week at the factory on an industrial estate

The cannabis factory discovered by South Wales Police
Author: Oliver MorganPublished 30th Oct 2023
Last updated 30th Oct 2023

A thousand plants worth an estimated £1 million have been seized by South Wales Police - after raiding a major cannabis factory in Pontypridd.

It happened on Friday (October 27), when officers conducted a warrant in the Treforest Industrial Estate.

The warrant followed thermal images, detected from a police drone.

Four men inside the unit were detained and remanded - after attempting to hide in the attic, thanks to to help of a police dog.

The warehouse had been converted into two large rooms which contained 956 cannabis plants, and further rooms had been converted in preparation of having more cannabis plants. The estimated value of the plants was over £1 million.

All four men have been charged and remanded and appeared in Merthyr Magistrates court today (October 30).

Thermal image taken by South Wales Police

Detective Chief Inspector Dean Taylor said: “This was huge seizure, and our specialist drone intelligence led us to uncover this large-scale illegal operation.

By disrupting supply lines and taking those involved out of circulation, we can make South Wales’s communities safer.

This type of drug offending does have its victims and has a devastating impact on communities and vulnerable people.

We can only do this with the support and information that we get from the public, so I encourage anyone with information about drug dealing in their community to call us on 101, we treat every piece of information as important.”

It's been confirmed all four defendants in this case have been remanded in custody to appear at Cardiff Crown Court next month - on 27.11.23.

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