Underground drugs factory found

[0utrider]

A massive underground drugs factory, where hundreds of cannabis plants were nurtured, has been found by police.

Eight shipping container units had been buried to contruct a labyrinth of plant-growing chambers.

The whole complex had then been covered by a layer of earth several feet thick - with just one container and a caravan left above ground in the Sussex field.

Police uncovered the site, which contained 300 plants, after a fire in the caravan at Goddards Green.

Officers are now guarding the site, which was connected to a electric generator.


This is clearly the undertaking of more than one person
Sussex Police

It is believed the drug gang scrambled down into the underground complex through a hatch cut in the bottom of the container unit which was in a field.

Once down below, the plants were cultivated using artificial lighting and the gang members could move between the container units, which were inter-connected by ladders and hatches.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said the site appeared to have been "deliberately designed" for producing illegal drugs.

He said the operation to move and bury the cargo containers - and to arrange a large generator providing heat and light - would have been a "significant undertaking".

Cabling was found connecting the generator with the underground units at the site on land close to Leigh Water Mill Farm on Cuckfield Road, between Ansty and Hickstead.

Ladder leading from the overground container to a buried unit
A ladder led from the overground unit to an underground container

The spokesman said: "This is clearly the undertaking of more than one person and would have taken a period of time and numerous resources to construct."

Forensic examination of the site is still under way and a "high volume" of specialist fire and police officers have been involved in making the site safe, he added.

He said there have been two suspected arson incidents at the site in the past month, and work is under way to find if they are linked to the factory.

No-one has been arrested, but police are hoping witnesses who may have seen unusual activity will come forward.

Officers also want to speak to professionals who may have been involved in the supply of materials unknowingly.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...ex/7320358.stm

Reputation Comments on this post:

Good spot - thanks for posting

[Twiglet]

Here's a link to police video of underground complex.

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/dr...sex/1575533957

This was in local newspaper :Underground labyrinth of drugs found
By Jess Bauldry

Firefighters stumbled across a sophisticated underground cannabis factory thought to have produced harvests worth hundreds of thousands of pounds over a number of years.
The officers were dealing with a caravan fire at a farm when they uncovered the labyrinth of eight shipping containers where more than 300 mature plants were growing.
Sgt John Wallace, of Haywards Heath police station, said: "It's the largest find that I have worked on. Potentially, this will make some sort of impact on the amount of drugs available on the street."
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Detectives were last night trying to trace a highly organised gang after the discovery at the 53-acre Leigh Water Mill Farm in Ansty, near Burgess Hill.
The burning caravan was less than 10m away from a shipping container perched on top of a further eight buried underground.
Firefighters used water to cool gas cannisters that had become heated by the fire.
A generator and power cables feeding into the containers were nearby. Fearing the generator would be at risk of the water, they investigated the container and discovered the factory.
Neighbours said there had not been any excavations in recent years but there was a lot of activity on the site 20 years ago.
They said people often came and went and night but thought that was because one of the occupants was a lorry driver.
One neighbour told The Argus: "I can't believe it. I knew something must have happened because the police put a big blue tent. We guessed it wasn't just arson."
Forensics teams are expected to remain at the scene well into the weekend. Safety concerns forced the police to cut the power supply and they are working in dark and damp conditions.
Sgt Wallace said the site had been used for several years. He told The Argus: "It's clearly historically been functioning to produce a significant amount of drugs. It appears to have been used some period, possibly a number of years.
"It's a relatively large scale factory for the production of drugs. The fact it's buried underground shows someone has gone to great lengths to conceal it. That to me is quite unusual and quite ingenious."
The land was bought in 1986 by widow Doreen Ellett, 83, who was unavailable for comment. Police believe she may have rented the land out.
Mrs Ellett's white Mercedes was wrecked in the fierce night-time blaze at her home in February.
No arrests have been made following the cannabis factory discovery and there is no suggestion that Mrs Ellett has broken any law. But police are looking to speak to anyone who has seen any unusual activity nearby.
Sgt Wallace said: "The site appears to have been deliberately generated for this purpose and the undertaking of such an operation would have been significant in terms of the moving of cargo containers and submerging them under earth along with arranging a strong generator power supply for heat and energy.
"This is clearly the undertaking of more than one person. I am keen to speak to any neighbours or regular road users who may have seen unusual activities in the area or significant excavation work. I would also like to hear from professional contractors who may have been involved with supplying materials to the area without knowledge of the real purpose."

Reputation Comments on this post:

Thanks for the video link and additional information

[fnord]

I actually know a friend that has one of those cargo containers burried, strangly they dont grow/make drugs in it.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said the site appeared to have been "deliberately designed" for producing illegal drugs.

No shit,i wonder how many detectives it took to figure that one out.