SCORES of cannabis factories have been brought to a halt in the space of just a few weeks as police crack down on the illegal drugs trade.
In less that 20 days, three cannabis factories have been discovered in Southampton alone, with four people jailed for their link to an operation worth millions.
Below is a round-up of all the cannabis-related schemes that were foiled in the last month:
Barton Road - Eastleigh
At the beginning of the month, police revealed they were investigating a suspected drug factory after a devestating house fire in Eastleigh.
Around 35 firefighters tackled the blaze which ripped through the home on Barton Road.
But days after the fire had been extinguished, police revealed they were investigating a suspected drug factory, which is thought to have been the cause of the inferno.
READ MORE:
- Eastleigh house fire: Police on the hunt for people living in suspected drug factory
- Police investigate suspected drug factory after Eastleigh house fire
Officers, who worked with utility firm SSE, said the power supply may have been tampered with - and this could be a contributing factor in the blaze.
Eastleigh District Commander, Chief Inspector Paul Southam, said: “We want to stress that any production of drugs is linked to hidden harm and these sites are often run by organised crime gangs, who are likely to engage in very serious violence involving weapons and also take advantage of vulnerable people, exploiting them or making them work in servitude.”
Pitt Road - Freemantle
Just days after the fire thought to be connected to drugs in Eastleigh, four men were jailed for their role in a Southampton cannabis factory worth millions of pounds.
The sentencing came after police raided an industrial unit in Pitt Road, Southampton under the cover of night in January this year.
Inside the unit, they found four men, Agron Elezaj, 27, of Jack Clow Road, London, Amarildo Sulaj, 23, of Stanhope Road, Doncaster, and Rexhino Koci, 26, and Damiano Saraci, 30, both of no fixed address.
READ MORE:
- What we know as four jailed after raid on Southampton cannabis factory
- Four men jailed after raid on £3.6m a year cannabis factory in Southampton
As well as the men, officers discovered a cannabis factory, believed to be worth up to £3.6m per year and a maze of electricals used to power the vast operation.
The four men were sentenced at Winchester Crown Court with Sulaj being handed four years and four months in prison and Koci receiving a four-year sentence. Saraci and Elezaj were both given 20 months in prison.
Sirdar Road - Swaythling
On July 13, police swooped on a semi-detached property in Sirdar Road after reports of "suspicious activity".
Officers began searching the site, a suspected cannabis factory, as others stood guard outside.
Meanwhile, neighbours were asked if they had seen or heard anything at the address before police arrived.
READ MORE:
- What we know so far as police raid suspected cannabis factory in Sirdar Road, Portswood
- Suspected cannabis factory uncovered in Southampton street - live updates
It was later revealed that a number of cannabis plants had been found.
Kathy Emmott, who lives near the house, said: "I'm not here all the time but it's quite a while - several months - since I saw anyone coming and going."
Engineers Arms - Northam
On July 18, police cordoned off a former pub, the Engineers Arms in Britannia Road, Southampton.
The road was closed but soon reopened as officers revealed they had discovered a cannabis factory at the site.
Work soon started to dismantle the infrastructure inside the former watering hole and seize the plans.
READ MORE:
- Cannabis factory found on Northam Road in Southampton
- Police investigate crash and cannabis factory in Southampton
The discovery was made as police attended the scene to investigate a hit-and-run in the early hours of the morning.
A crash between a silver Volkswagen CC and a man in his 40s left the man with facial injuries and a serious leg injury.
Fort Road - Woolston
On Friday, police revealed they had seized more than 100 cannabis plants following a riad at a property on Fort Road.
Officers swooped on the site on Thursday morning as part of a drugs crackdown and later deemed the electrical wiring rigged to grow the plants as a "massive fire risk".
A 32-year-old Southampton man was arrested on suspicion of cultivating the class B drug, but was released facing no further action.
READ MORE: Police seize 100 cannabis plants at Southampton home
The county force has warned that drug production on such a scale brings with it "organised crime, serious violence, firearms and exploitation of children and vulnerable adults".
If you have any information on drug dealing in your neighbourhood, this can be reported by calling 101, on the police website, or calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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