Police bust Bangor cannabis factory

Jun 10 2009 By Hywel Trewyn

A LARGE-scale cannabis farm was uncovered by police investigating an alleged multi-million pound drugs ring.

Fifteen people were being held last night after a cannabis factory was found in a former builders’ yard in Bangor and arrests were made across North Wales.

Dozens of officers swooped on the former Jewson building supplies site in Penlon Works, Lower High Street on Saturday and arrests were also made as far away as Deganwy and Wrexham.

Of the 15 arrested, most were of Chinese origin.

Forensic teams were still on the scene yesterdayon Monday after police seized van-loads of material – believed to have been equipment used fin the drug production process.used in the large-scale cultivation of cannabis

Fifteen people, most of them of Chinese origin, were arrested by officers working as far apart as Wrexham and Deganwy.UP TO HERE ON FRONT PAGE?

The 15 appeared at Llandudno Magistrates Court on Monday in groups of three and four.

The first three defendants to appear were charged with conspiracy with others to produce an unknown amount of cannabis.

They were Bo Xing He, 31, of Bamboo Garden, Park Road, Colwyn Bay; Xin Zhang, 24, of New Street, Liverpool; and a 17-year-old girl who can’t be identified for legal reasons. She is also charged with escaping from lawful custody.

District judge Andrew Shaw remanded the three in custody. They will appear at Caernarfon Crown Court on June 19.

Prosecutor Gareth Parry said 12 other defendants were all charged with the production of an unspecified amount of cannabis. Their addresses were not given in court.

They were remanded in police custody until Friday or earlier, depending on the progress of police enquiries.

Yesterday the blue steel gates of the former Jewson builders’ merchants yard were locked to stop anybody going near the building. Windows at the site have been boarded-up since the company moved out around 18 months ago to another site at Llandygai.

The yard was bought nine months ago by building contractors Hughes Brothers of Llangefni. Last night the firm’s John Hughes said he was "shocked" after police told him about the raids.

The company had planned to build new homes on the site, but plans were put on ice because of the recession. The company had rented out the premises through an agent in Bangor.

Mr Hughes said: "I don’t know a lot. We’re a building company and obviously wanted to build houses. It was a shock to us. We didn’t know anything about it. When you rent somewhere out you don’t know what they’re going to use it for. It’s like renting out a house and people growing something in the attic."