Cannabis worth an estimated £3m found at warehouse

News imageEssex Police Cannabis plants surrounded by two police officers and a man. Everyone has had their faces blurred out.
One officer is wearing a helmet and the man is wearing a grey hoodie.Essex Police
Essex Police found cannabis at an industrial estate building in Basildon on Thursday

Two men have been charged after more than 2,000 cannabis plants were found in a warehouse on an industrial estate.

Essex Police said the haul was discovered during a raid in the east of Basildon and had an estimated street value of up to £3m.

Officers sawed through shutters and found 2,140 plants on two floors of the building, which the force described as being in a "dangerous condition" with an unstable mezzanine floor and "masses of exposed electrical cabling" to power heaters.

PC Louis Rose said: "After receiving reports of unusual activity at the site, we expected to find a grow. However, to encounter one of this size is rare."

A 46-year-old and a 37-year-old, both of no fixed address, have been charged with production of a Class B drug, abstracting electricity and entering the UK without a passport.

News imageEssex Police A police officer using a saw to cut through a grey shutter. The officer is wearing gloves and a helmet. Essex Police

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