Four men charged following £1m cannabis bust

Four men have been charged following the discovery of a million pound cannabis factory in Fen Drayton.

Acting on information and concerns raised by members of the public, neighbourhood officers visited two properties on Mill Road on Tuesday morning.

Inside the two five-bedroom houses they found more than 1,000 plants, with a street value of more than £1 million, across 18 different rooms. Growing equipment, cash and mobile phones were also seized.

Two men were found hiding inside a cupboard on the top floor of one house while two others attempted to run from police from the second property.

The men, Nam Nguyen Van, 20, Phao Nguyen, 39, Thao Hoang, 44, and Ban Hoang, 50, all of no fixed address, have all since been charged with production of cannabis and are due to appear at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court today (9 January).

Neighbourhood Inspector Colin Norden said: “On the outside these two properties look like lovely family homes in a quiet village. The insides tell a completely different story, once two designer homes destroyed with windows boarded, holes in walls, doors removed and cabling everywhere to create a sophisticated cannabis production.

“Growing and selling cannabis is not only illegal but can also generate funds for gangs to use in other criminal enterprises.

“We will continue to disrupt drug dealing networks and stop criminals making money from the illegal drugs trade and we continue to ask for the communities support in doing this.”

There are key signs to spot a property that could be being used as a cannabis factory:

Frequent visitors to a property at unsocial hours throughout the day and night

Blacked out windows or condensation on the windows, even when it is not cold outside

Bright lights in rooms throughout the night

Electricity metres being tampered with/altered and new cabling

A powerful, distinctive, sweet, sticky aroma and noise from fans

An excessive amount of plant pots, chemicals, fertilisers and compost

Anyone with information about a potential cannabis factory or drug dealing can contact police online or call 101.