Plumber helps catch cannabis farmer in Wisbech
He stumbled upon the hundreds of plants during a visit to service a boiler.
Last updated 29th Aug 2021
A plumber has helped police in Cambridgeshire catch a cannabis farmer after stumbling across hundred of plants in Wisbech while carrying out a boiler service.
Police were called to a house on North Brink at 11.20am on the 29th June after a plumber and letting agent went to the property to carry out a boiler service.
When the pair entered the house they caught a man tending to six-foot tall cannabis plants.
Officers arrived on the scene and arrested Thamh Pham after he opened the door to greet them.
A total of 492 cannabis plants were seized and examined and found to have a street value of up to £413,280.
A large self-seal vacuum bag was also found which contained the flowering tops of a cannabis plant worth up to £7,100, furthering flowering tops were found elsewhere in the house worth up £110.
Pham was charged with one count of producing a Class B drug which he pled guilty to.
He was sentenced to eight months in prison at Cambridge Crown Court on the 26th August.
DC Rhian Jones, who investigated, said: “As a result of the call from the plumber who visited the Wisbech house, we were able to seize a large amount of class B drugs and stop them from being sold on the streets.
“A second man was also arrested at the house but later released, offered emergency accommodation and safeguarded as he was found to be a victim of human trafficking. Alongside seizing drugs, this is exactly why we target cannabis factories across the county.
“We can’t be everywhere and we rely on people in our communities being our eyes and ears. If something doesn’t seem quite right, it more than likely isn’t.
“We would encourage people to look out for signs of illegal cannabis factories in their communities. Signs could include blacked out windows, people coming and going at various times of the day and noticing a distinctive ‘hum’ noise from the fans and ventilation if living nearby.
"In addition, being able to recognise the signs of modern slavery may help save someone’s life.
"Warning signs include people seeming overly tired, withdrawn or avoiding eye contact, not having suitable equipment or clothing for the job they are doing, not being able to come and go as they wish, being unpaid or paid very little and working excessively long or unusual hours."