£4.5m haul seized after neighbourhood police officers sniff out cannabis factory

Police officers have sniffed out a haul of cannabis worth £4.5 million at a warehouse in Lancashire.

The discovery in Oswaldtwistle on Wednesday afternoon is thought to be one of the biggest drugs seizures in the county.

Neighbourhood officers were making inquiries in the area when they noticed a strong smell from the building in Commercial Street.

Inside were numerous boxes filled with pre-packaged bags of what is believed to be cannabis resin and cannabis bush.

No arrests have been made yet.

Detective Chief Inspector Tim Brown, from East Lancashire CID, said: “This significant discovery was the result of fantastic pro-active police work, initially by neighbourhood policing team officers.

“While the investigation is still at an early stage, inquiries are progressing and I would encourage anybody who has seen unusual activity around this sight in recent months to contact police.”

Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire’s police and crime commissioner, said: “The crucial work carried out by Lancashire officers in keeping drugs off our streets achieves real results like this that make our communities safer.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting log 0994 of August 26, 2020. Alternatively, contact independent charity Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555111