Police in the north of England have discovered a “significant” cannabis cultivation operation, all after a man showed them a video by accident.
Two men, aged 38 and 22, have been arrested on suspicion of producing the drug, which sentences a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison in the UK.
Northumbria police said Monday their officers had stopped a car near Houghton-le-Spring with the two suspects inside, one of whom did not speak English as a first language, so he tried to open Google Translate on his phone.
“To his horror, a video appeared on the screen showing a cannabis farm in operation,” the force said, adding that it later led to the discovery of the 600-story farm that spans three floors of ‘a house in a nearby village. .
“It’s safe to say the suspect was a little shocked and tried to quickly lock the phone in the hope that no one would have seen it.”
The two men, who have not been named, have been released on police bail, pending further investigations.
“Very often, cannabis farms like these can be used to fund more serious crime across the region, so this seizure will cause a drink in the pockets of those behind it,” said Sergeant Steve Passey.
“I also stress that these cannabis farms can be a potential death trap, electricity has often been overlooked, which poses a real and serious fire risk not only to the property involved, but also to the families living in the vicinity.
“We do not apologize for our firm stance on this type of crime and, under the banner of Operation Sentinel, we will continue to target serious criminals and put behind bars those who undermine the fabric of our communities.”