Two men are in custody tonight following the discovery of a sophisticated cannabis operation inside a million pound mansion in March.
To the outside world the house looks to be in need of some tender loving care - but behind the facade and million pound price tag, police today found a highly complex cannabis factory.
What was once a much loved family home sitting on a main road into the town has revealed itself as a professional drugs factory containing more than 1,000 cannabis plants.
With three huge water tanks on the ground floor feeding into seven growing rooms in the three-storey property, there is a maze of air filtration systems, electric leads and lights.
The humidity, damp and smell at Wendreda House in Wimblington Road is overwhelming and the mould and damp as a result is taking hold in each of the nine bedrooms, six bathrooms, two utility rooms and four drawing rooms.
Det Insp. David Murphy said: “This looks like something you would see in Downton Abbey or the place people take on for Grand Designs, not where you expect to see a highly professional cannabis factory.
“It is on a main road and surrounded by other homes. It was a risky project.”
Cambridgeshire Police believe the home has been used for growing cannabis for the last six months and following an anonymous tip-off about the pungent smell coming from the building, the Fenland Intervention team raided the home at about 11am today (Wednesday).
Two men in their 20s were arrested at the property that stands in 1.8 acres of land, and taken into police custody for questioning.
High end magazines including Tatler, Gracia and Prada are piled on a coffee table in one of the ground floor living rooms where chandeliers hang over beautifully stripped and polished oak flooring with Farrow and Ball painted walls.
“It was obviously once a much loved and cared for family home,” said Det Insp Murphy.
“How it has got to be used like this we don’t know. Usually cannabis factories are in remote areas or industrial units. This is something else. A really unusual find.”
“We turned up on a speculative visit. What we’ve unearthed is bizarre.”
A quick tour of the property unveils a basement with baby plants. Coming up to the ground floor the rooms look like a home undergoing good quality renovations with furniture and food and drinks in the kitchen. But on two upstairs floors lies a complex maze of filtration systems, lights, and plants which appear to be undergoing a nine week growing period - which is a quicker turn around than the usual 12 week growth period, said Det Insp Murphy.
“The lights are left on for around 18 hours a day to speed up the growing time,” he said and the electrics have been bypassed saving the gardening team a hefty heating and lights bill.
“That‘s standard practice for a cannabis factory. You couldn’t afford what a system like this would cost in terms of electrics,” said Det Insp Murphy.
The house is the registered offices for Marble Warehouse Ltd, a dissolved company.
A 33 year old man from Whitstable in Kent and a 30 year old man from Twickenham in West London are in custody at King’s Lynn Police Station on suspicion of supplying drugs.
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