Published: Wednesday, 9th December, 2009 12:21pm

Cannabis farm found in house

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A CANNABIS farm has been uncovered in a house in Kincardine - with Fife Police seizing 800 plants with an estimated street value of in excess of £250,000.

An intelligence-led operation was carried out in the village last Thursday morning, with three men appearing in connection with the raid at Dunfermline Sheriff Court the following day.

Fife Police said the seizure reinforced its commitment to reducing the availability of controlled drugs, as described in the Force Policing Plan, the strategy being to detect those serious and organised crime groups involved in large scale cannabis cultivations, which are often linked to human trafficking, serious violence and money laundering.

Head of the force's crime management, Detective Superintendent Garry McEwan, said, "Fife Constabulary continues to focus resources on disrupting and detecting those criminals engaged in the cultivation of cannabis farms.

"Following receipt of intelligence, officers searched a house and made the discovery that, without doubt, was a cannabis farm on a grand scale.

"Maintaining a criminal operation of this magnitude takes a great deal of commitment and planning and, as in previous cases similar to this, the property has been significantly damaged in order to maximise the growing potential.

"The criminals responsible from this type of activity have no regard for the residential properties they use and such properties pose a real risk of fire, which could impact upon neighbouring houses and business premises."

DS McEwan urged the public to remain vigilant and, should they spot tell-tale signs - such as persons visiting the premises at unusual times of the day or night, vents protruding through roofs or windows or pungent smells coming from houses - he appealed to them to contact the police.

He added, "We will listen and investigate what the public tell us."

Earlier this year, two major cannabis farms were uncovered by Central Scotland Police.

In May, a massive cannabis farm was discovered at the abandoned Alva Glen Hotel. Police swooped on the building and discovered 500 cannabis plants at various stages of cultivation worth an estimated £350,000.

Sophisticated heating and lighting equipment was also found to cultivate the drugs stash.

Just two weeks later, another cannabis farm was uncovered in a house in Sauchie's Whiteyetts Drive.

Officers raided the premises following tip-offs from the neighbours. They found 250 plants, worth an estimated £120,000.

In August, a Chinese peasant, Minhua Chen, admitted being involved in the production of cannabis at the house in Sauchie and was jailed for four years.

Chen had been smuggled into Britain and managed the cannabis farm in Sauchie on behalf of Triad gangmasters.

Stilring Sheriff Court was told that Chen oversaw the day-to-day operation of a "highly sophisticated" indoor drug farm in the luxury home in an upmarket estate.

He mixed nutrients in the bathroom and fed them through sophisticated water tubes into "bank upon bank" of cannabis plants packed into all six bedrooms of the house.