UK police uncover £1.3 million cannabis factory inside abandoned BHS store
UK police arrested two men after discovering a large-scale cannabis factory containing over 1,700 plants inside a vacant BHS department store in Slough. The operation, which had a potential street value of £1.3 million, was uncovered following an investigation into the disused premises.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the repurposing of abandoned commercial real estate for illicit activities following the decline of traditional high-street retail.
Two men have been jailed after police uncovered a cannabis factory containing more than 1,700 plants inside a former BHS store in Slough, with the crop estimated to have a potential street value of nearly £1.3 million.According to details released by Thames Valley Police, Ajet Begu, 40, from Palmers Green in north London, and 27-year-old Aryan Turya, of no fixed abode, were discovered inside the disused High Street premises when officers forced entry on January 28 after identifying the building as a suspected cannabis factory.The plants were found across two floors of the former department store, with police describing the scale of the operation as an “incredible sight”.Police discover 1,700 cannabis plants inside abandoned BHS storeOfficers from the Chalvey, Upton and Slough Town Neighbourhood Policing Team entered the former BHS shop at around 1.30pm on January 28.Inside, they found more than 1,700 cannabis plants at various stages of maturity, along…
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