Drug squad cops seized more than 100 hash plants during a raid in a quiet residential street yesterday.
The large three-room cannabis cultivation, with an estimated street value of £50,000, was discovered in a flat in Bute Avenue, Renfrew, after a tip-off.
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Officers in white overalls were seen removing brown evidence bags containing large cannabis plants as they dismantled the sophisticated setup following the intelligence-led bust.
Police uncovered the drug farm on Tuesday afternoon and guarded the site before a warrant was granted to search the flat.
It is understood plants at various stages of growth were found across two rooms and a loft space, while sophisticated and potentially dangerous lighting rigs had been set up to encourage higher
yields.
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Two police cars and a police van were seen in the street throughout the day as officers worked to clear the space.
Inspector Allan O’Hare, from Renfrew, Johnstone and the villages community policing team, said the setup posed a significant fire risk as the crooks had tampered with the electricity supply to bypass the meter.
He said: “Officers attended at the address while acting on intelligence received from the public .
“On arrival, it was quickly established that a cannabis cultivation was present and a sheriff search warrant was obtained.
“The electricity meter had also been bypassed, which posed a significant fire risk to residents of the building.
“Due to the amount of heating and lightning in a cultivation, they are extremely dangerous and the officers have acted quickly to make the building safe.”
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He added: “I would encourage the public to assist us in trying to identify those responsible for this cultivation due to the lives that could have been put at risk if it had been allowed to continue.
“I would also ask that they are vigilant in looking for signs of cultivations where they live, which include, strong and sickly sweet smell, constant covered or blocked windows, strong and constant lighting day and night, high levels of heat and condensation and the constant buzz of ventilation, to name a few.”
If anyone has any concerns or information about cannabis farms, call 101 or contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
