Public asked to play their part in weeding out cannabis factories
A new campaign to encourage the public to provide anonymous information on houses and flats that are being used for cannabis cultivations is launched today (Monday 30 August 2010).
The campaign comes as figures released today show that Scotland's police forces have seized almost £40 million of cannabis plants since the national crackdown on this serious organised crime was launched in 2006. The 130,000 plants seized over that period would be capable of covering the football pitches at Hampden, Ibrox and Parkhead.
The £25,000 campaign, which is being led and funded by the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA), highlights the tell-tale signs of cannabis cultivations and calls on the public to anonymously share any suspicions they have through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Chair of the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill will be joined at the launch by SCDEA Director General Gordon Meldrum, and Scotland Crimestoppers chairman John LS Malcolm and they will outline the threat to Scotland's communities from cannabis cultivations and how the public can help.
Cultivations have been detected by all eight forces across Scotland in both rural and urban settings and in a variety of properties, including flats, houses, farm buildings and industrial premises.
The public is being asked to use their natural senses to look out for the following signs, which may indicate the presence of a cannabis cultivation:
Blacked out windows, occasionally with condensation on them, or curtains or blinds that are permanently closed;
Premises appear unoccupied most of the time but with people seen visiting late at night or into the early hours;
Visitors to the premises may be seen bringing in building supplies and/or gardening equipment, which may be carried in boxes or suitcases;
A low level hum or a loud buzzing sound caused by fans or extraction systems;
A strong, sweet distinctive smell;
Unusual levels of heat coming through walls and floors, which may be more noticeable in flats.
Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill said:
"Serious organised crime affects us all. It fuels street-level crime in our communities, and increases the fear of crime through the violence and intimidation used. It brings human misery to thousands of families through the harmful drugs they peddle - with cannabis most often the drug that starts people on that dark journey.
"We need the public's help to expand our knowledge, and disrupt these criminals' operations. Even the smallest piece of information about an individual or group's activity can be the key that unlocks the door to disrupting an entire criminal empire.
"The fact that so many of the individuals involved in cannabis cultivation are of South-East Asian origin should not be seen as us targeting a community.
"Nine out of 10 of those arrested for these particular crimes are of South-East Asian descent and it would be negligent if we refused to acknowledge that reality. But I hope that we will also get the support of those communities with family ties to that region of the world.
"Working together we can make our communities safe places in which to live and work for law abiding members of the public - and hostile places for criminals. With your help, there will be no hiding place for the criminal gangs who prey on our communities."
Cannabis cultivations represent a growing threat to Scotland's communities. Since 2006, police in Scotland have detected 278 commercial cannabis cultivations and seized 130,716 cannabis plants, which are valued at £39.2 million.
The figures cover seizures for 2010 so far, which include 22 cultivations detected across Lothian & Borders, Strathclyde, Fife and Dumfries & Galloway. Over 12,000 plants have been seized worth over £3.6 million.
Properties are destroyed internally to maximise space for plants, with walls damaged and often knocked down. They represent a serious fire and electrocution risk because the electricity supply is interfered with and bypassed, and powerful lighting is left on for long periods of time.
Deputy Chief Constable Gordon Meldrum added:
"These illegal and highly dangerous cultivations are quite literally on people's doorsteps. These are not the kind of neighbours anyone wants or needs. They won't care about your quality of life, or if your home goes up in smoke because of the risks they take to make profit. We need people to be the eyes and ears of their communities, and hopefully by outlining some key signs people will be able to help us identify where more of these operations are taking place.
"The commercial cultivation of cannabis represents a highly profitable business for serious organised crime groups, and is one which they believe is low risk. I want to change that perception and today send a message to those involved that we are improving our intelligence on a daily basis.
"Across Scotland police have detected hundreds of cultivations and arrested hundreds of people. This has had a significant impact and caused considerable disruption to those involved. I strongly believe that with the public taking a healthy interest in what's going on around them and using their common sense, and senses, we can increase the risk to those behind the cultivations, make them more vulnerable to law enforcement, and ultimately make them think twice about doing business here."
John LS Malcolm, chairman, Scotland Crimestoppers said:
"Crimestoppers plays a vital role in the fight against crime and we have a long history of working with communities to make them safer and help solve crimes.
"The public should be assured that when they call Crimestoppers to report suspicious activity, their anonymity is guaranteed - in 22 years of operating as an independent charity we've never broken that promise. We do not take your name, we do not trace your call and we do not tape calls - all we need is what you know.
"Call Crimestoppers now on 0800 555 111 or give information anonymously online at http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/."
