Here’s their self-published article
Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of cannabis seized
Issued on 12/2/19 at 12:30 p.m.
Leicestershire Police have seized 160 mature cannabis plants during a successful drugs investigation – thanks to information from the public.
Officers discovered the plants worth an estimated, £150,000 – £200,000 at a property on Rolleston Street, Spinney Hills, on Thursday 7 February. Police acted following complaints from local residents and businesses about a strong smell of cannabis.
Due to the large number of houses and businesses in the local area it was at first difficult to locate exactly where the smell was coming from. As a result, officers used a drone to pin-point the heat source from the lamps used to grow the drugs using its infra-red thermal imaging technology.
After successfully identifying the property, officers were given permission to enter the building through Section 17 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) which allows legal entry into a property without a warrant if there is a threat to life. On this occasion the heat from the lamps used to grow the cannabis was considered a serious fire risk, which would have spread to other properties.
Enquiries are currently ongoing to trace those who are responsible for growing and selling it.
Sergeant Karl Walshe, from the Spinney Hills Police Station led the operation. He said: “I would like to thank the members of the public who came forward and brought to our attention the possibility of a cannabis factory in the local area. That information was extremely helpful and has meant we have been able to keep a large quantity of drugs off our streets.
“Thursday was an extremely positive result for us. We will continue to act on intelligence from the public and work with local partners to attain similar results in the future.”