Some of the equipment used to cultivate the marijuana after being seized by police.
POLICE have issued a stern warning to those involved in illegal drugs in the county – after yet another search on a property yielded an arrest last week.
It has been a case of four drugs busts in three weeks for Fermanagh police, the latest coming on Tuesday last when a man was arrested in Irvinestown.
Prior to that, police operations were carried out in the Florencecourt area, in Belnaleck, and in Newtownbutler.
The latest police operation took place in the Sallys Wood area of Irvinestown and a man was arrested in connection with abstracting electricity and possession of a class B controlled drug, among other offences.
A police spokesman said: “A 25 year old man was released to be reported to the PPS in connection with theft, handling stolen goods, abstracting electricity and possession of a class B controlled drug. This follows a search at a house in the Sallys Wood area of [Irvinestown] on the afternoon of Tuesday 11 November where a number of items were seized.”
Prior to this, police in Lisnaskea searched two premises in the Newtownbutler area on Thursday, November 6 and seized a number of cannabis plants and items used for growing and propagating cannabis. A 28-year-old man was been arrested and has been released on bail pending further enquiries.
That same day, £200,000 worth of cannabis was seized in the Florencecourt area. The 23-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis and abstracting electricity following a planned search of a house in the Florencecourt area on and was been released on bail pending further police enquiries.
And, on the Friday after this a third property searched in Belnaleck resulted in 70 plants seized with an estimated street value of around £38,500.
The rise in the number of drug related operations by police has not gone unnoticed by police inspector Roy Robinson, who warned that more will be targeted by police.
“There’s a substantial amount of drugs out there. And I believe there is a large number still unidentified. People are disguising houses as having people living there.”
He went on: “There’s no doubt about it: We believe other unidentified houses are there in the community to grow cannabis. They might be 40 or 50 plants but there are certainly people out there.
“Those houses that we have got we have been fortunate, Inspector Robinson added, “To fill the market for the supply there are people who are determined criminals and criminal gangs prepared to make substantial money. They’re living a lifestyle way beyond their means.”
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