Dope farmers feeling the heat of police technology

Published on Tuesday 2 June 2009 10:15

THERMAL imaging equipment is being used by police in the Lothians to home in on Asian drug gangs who are turning residential properties into cannabis farms.

Police have raided six addresses across the area in the last few weeks as part of Operation League 2, a nationwide crackdown on the Chinese and Vietnamese gangs.

Now sophisticated infra-red cameras have become the latest weapon in the police's armoury as they aim to bring the increasingly lucrative industry to its knees.

Officers are using the equipment to find heat spots that could give an indication of the use of high-powered lights associated with cannabis cultivation.

Charlie Selcraig, a detective sergeant with the drugs squad, said: "The modus operandi of these gangs is to rent a three or four-bedroom house, pay cash up front and convert it almost entirely for the purpose of growing cannabis.

"They may keep the front room clear so that it looks like a normal house, but the rest will be given over to between 400 and 600 cannabis plants – it's big business."

Det Sgt Selcraig said the criminal gangs often employed a "gardener" to look after the property, often someone who has been trafficked into the country by the gang bosses. The gangs are also known to be involved in prostitution and counterfeiting.

He added: "These cannabis farms have been on the go since 2006, but they seem to have increased. We're sure it's not just one organised crime group – there's quite a few operating.

"Some of those we've got have almost been stumbled across. The neighbours see condensation and think it's smoke. The fire brigade smash their way in and find a cannabis farm."

The farms are capable of four crops a year, each producing cannabis with a street value of up to 80,000.

Police say the gangs often bring in their own electricians to bypass the metering system, allowing them to run high-powered lights and sophisticated timers free of charge under the noses of the power companies.

Detective Superintendent Willie MacColl of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, said: "We know that organised crime gangs are focusing on industrial production of cannabis.

"The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland continues to target these criminals and law enforcement agencies are using a range of techniques to detect and disrupt these operations.

"The police have worked effectively with the private sector across Scotland.

"There have also been many successes as a result of the public being alert to what is going on in their communities.

"It is up to us all in society to tackle those dealers who peddle misery in our communities."