Cannabis farms uncovered in tower block in northwest England

Cannabis farms have been found at a block of flats in northwestern Liverpool, local police said Wednesday.

Merseyside Police said officers received a report on Tuesday morning, saying a strong smell of cannabis coming from the property in Crete Tower, Everton, a district in Liverpool.

The police said officers entered the building and discovered hundreds of cannabis plants growing in three flats, and some equipment used to grow cannabis was found in a fourth flat.

Detectives described the scene as "a sophisticated and industrial-scale criminal set-up, with a potential annual yield totaling more than 1.35 million pounds (2.12 million U.S. dollars)."

"This was an elaborate series of cannabis farms spread across four separate flats. We discovered a total of 339 plants but believe much more could have been grown in the flat that contained equipment," said acting detective inspector Lee Wilkinson.

"Today's discovery shows how farms can be hidden in the very heart of our communities, so it is in everyone's interests to help the police put these drugs farms out of business," he added.

Two weeks ago, local police also discovered thousands of cannabis plants being grown in flats in another tower block in the same district. Four men involved in the case have been charged. Endit