How a drugs factory hid behind curtains (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

How a drugs factory hid behind curtains

3:04pm Thursday 3rd August 2006 in Swindon

TWO teddies and a vase of flowers peep out from behind the net curtain and there is nothing to suggest this is anything but an ordinary suburban house.

Except the huge cannabis factory hidden inside.

Police raided 4 Alexandra Road on Friday as part of Operation Dali, the biggest cannabis production investigation ever in Swindon.

It was across the road from number 12, raided earlier in the week.

So far, £2 million worth of drugs have been found and 15 people arrested, including one 13-year-old youngster.

Senior investigator Det Insp Ian Saunders said police have uncovered nine cannabis factories.

Number 4 Alexandra Road had been completely gutted, its furniture replaced with a complicated scheme of hanging growing lamps, ducting and pots.

Upstairs in the two-storey terrace, police found plants packed into each of the three bedrooms.

Lamps to give them the light to grow were suspended from wires in the ceiling, allowing them to be raised as the plants grew higher.

Above that snaked silver ventilation ducting which was connected directly into a hole punched through to the chimney.

All the windows had curtains drawn and were covered inside with silver reflective foil.

Downstairs were larger, more mature plants.

On Saturday, crime scene investigators from the 30-strong Dali taskforce were cataloguing the production line.

"The preparation and planning of these cannabis cultivation set-ups is clearly a well organised operation," Det Insp Saunders said.

"From the outside some of the houses we raided looked like normal residential homes, but inside we found a completely different picture.

"Some of the properties were completely gutted and every available space was used for the production of cannabis.

"The exact value of the plants from the raids is not yet known, but it is believed to have a street value in excess of £2 million.

"Our inquiries continue and I would urge the public to contact us if they have any suspicions about what might be going on in their neighbourhoods."

He urged anyone with information to call Swindon police on 0845 408 7000.