49-year-old man arrested in connection with discovery of around 480 cannabis plants - valued at £250,000 - in Wisbech

Up to 500 cannabis plants found at cannabis factory inside £130,000 detached house in Oakroyd Crescent, Wisbech. PHOTO: Seb Pearce (Image: Archant)

The factory, which contained about 480 young plants with a potential future yield of up to £250,000, was found by officers on Friday (September 15) in Oakroyd Crescent.

This morning (September 18) a 49-year-old man from Wisbech was arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis.

He remains in custody at the Police Investigation Centre in King’s Lynn.

The growing plants were being monitored using a number of CCTV cameras around the house. PHOTO: Seb Pearce (Image: Archant)

Chief Inspector David Murphy of Cambridgeshire Police, says the factory has links to organised crime in the area.

He said: “It’s a very professional hydroponics set-up. What elevates this above other procedures is that is a professional set-up linked to organised crime. We’re very confident we can link known offenders to it.

“The property was being monitored elsewhere by the offenders on CCTV, which shows how professional it was.”

Before and after: What the kitchen of the house on Oakroyd Crescent looked like before it was turned into a cannabis factory (left) and after. PHOTO: Seb Pearce (Image: Archant)

Police are thought to have been tracking movements at the house for some time and decided to move in on the house last week.

The three-bedroom house used to grow the plants was listed for sale for £130,000 in November last year.

Cannabis plants of different ages were found growing in four rooms using a sophisticated hydroponic set-up containing fans and growing containers.

Several rooms also contained black bin bags full of freshly-harvested cannabis, ready for sale.