STRATHEARN residents and in particular landlords are being requested to report any properties they suspect may be being used for the cultivation of cannabis.
Several such makeshift drugs factories have been discovered in both urban and rural areas of Perthshire and Tayside recently, including one in Auchterarder, where 200 cannabis plants, with an estimated street value of £55,000, were seized when police swooped on a house in a quiet Lang Toon street.
As with any crime or incident, information from people living in the community is crucial.
Properties being used can range from rural remote farm houses to village and town flats and attics.
Things to look out for include: permanently covered windows; soil being taken into the house; strong odours coming from the property and visits to the property at unusual times of day (often cannabis farm operators do not live on site and instead only visit daily or weekly); powerful lights on all day or night in the attic or basement, and large amounts of black bin bags outside, which may be used to remove cannabis, by-products like used fertiliser, vegetable matter or compost bags from the property.
A spokesperson for Tayside Police said: “This type of illegal activity also brings with it a significant fire risk due to electrical supplies being interfered with and the presence of hoses running alongside electricity.
“Landlords should check tenants’ references, be careful if they offer cash payments up front, and carry out regular checks on their properties. They should also be aware of electrical wiring that has been tampered with and sudden jumps or falls in electricity bills caused by special lighting. Often electricity will be diverted or the meter tampered with.
“Growing operations require a lot of moisture. In addition to feeling the humidity, landlords may observe peeling paint or mildewed wallboard or carpet. Heavy condensation at the windows may also be seen. Gas cylinders and carbon dioxide (CO2) are also used to enrich the atmosphere in cultivation rooms.
“And scuffed paint or wallpaper can indicate regular visits are being made to the loft.”
Anyone with any suspicions surrounding people or property that might be involved in illegal drugs activities should contact Tayside Police immediately on 0300 111 2222 or Crime stoppers on 0800 555 111.
