Cannabis Factory Found In Ipswich

5 January 2011, 11:17 | Updated: 5 January 2011, 11:28

A cannabis factory containing between 200-300 plants and associated growing equipment has been found at a home in Ipswich.

Suffolk Police discovered the factory at 3.45am this morning at a property in Franklin Road in Ipswich. The site has been secured until investigations can be carried out at the scene. The plants and equipment will be seized today.  

An 18-year-old man was arrested at the premises on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis.  Three further men aged 20, 43 and 58 were arrested nearby in a vehicle on suspicion of going equipped and cultivation of cannabis.  All four men are currently in custody at Ipswich police station awaiting questioning.

Police have urged people to be vigilant and to report any suspicious activity that may relate to a cannabis factory. The following tips have been provided to help people identify a cannabis factory:

• The windows of the property are permanently covered from the inside
• Visits to the property occur at unusual times of the day or night
• People often do not live in the premises and only visit to maintain them
• There may be a vent protruding through the roof or a rear window
• There may be a pungent smell coming from the premises
• There may be noise coming from the equipment, such as cooling fans
• Pots and lights may be moved into the premises when the factory is set up
• In terraced houses, shared walls may appear wet to the touch
• Large amounts of soil and pots in back gardens

Anyone who suspects that a premises is a cannabis factory or anyone with any information about those involved in the production or supply of drugs should call Suffolk Police on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.