Picture shows inside of cannabis farm in Portsmouth where 70 plants were seized

Officers stormed an address in Agincourt Road, Buckland, shortly after 8.30am yesterday (July 15).

The home was empty and they are now hunting the occupants.

Police were unable to confirm the street value of the drugs seized at this stage.

‘No one was inside the property at the time and enquiries are ongoing to locate those involved,’ a police spokeswoman said.

Acting Portsmouth Central Insp Sean Hopkinson has warned those who engage in making cannabis.

She said: ‘The production of cannabis is often linked to hidden harm and organised crime groups.

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‘Often those groups take advantage of vulnerable people, exploiting them or making them work in servitude, and the money made is reinvested into other crimes that can cause serious harm.

‘The electrical requirement is also really dangerous and can be a huge fire risk, putting neighbouring properties, and lives in danger.

‘It is also linked to anti-social behaviour, like drug-related activity in your neighbourhood, which can cause misery to local communities.

‘For these reasons, it’s not just cannabis, it’s linked to serious criminality and serious harm which we are not going to ignore.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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