EIGHT people have been charged with incitement to produce cannabis following a Lancashire Constabulary Serious and Organised Crime Unit operation earlier this year. In September officers targeted seven premises in Blackpool, Preston, Darwen, Burnley and Walton le Dale. The properties were on Church Street and Springfield Road, Blackpool; South Ribble Enterprise Park, Walton le Dale; Great Shaw Street and Lothian Street, Preston; Sandy Lane, Lower Darwen and Hall Street, Burnley.November 28th 2008


Lancashire police recently raided 6 hydroponics shops in and around the Lancashire area; these raids have resulted in 12 arrests. On November the 12th 2008 the 12 arrested people answered bail and a number of these people have been charged under the (Missuse of Drugs Act 1971) for inciting to produce a controlled substance class b. It is alleged that in the months leading up to these arrests undercover police officers, equipped with hidden surveillance cameras, had been facilitating purchases of hydroponics equipment from the shops with the intention of growing cannabis. All of the charged have been re-bailed to appear a magistrate's court on November the 27th. It is believed that the shop owners that where released without further charge did so because the hidden video revealed that they had explicitly told the under cover officers that it was illegal to use the equipment to grow cannabis.   We will continue to follow the development of this story and report the of  come of the cort appearances on November the 27th.