Police officers sniff out cannabis worth £4.5 million at warehouse

Seizure thought to be largest in county’s history after neighbourhood officers catch whiff of stash

Neighbourhood officers were making inquiries in the area when they noticed a strong smell from a building in Commercial Street, Oswaldtwistle (PA)

Officers in Lancashire have uncovered a haul of cannabis with a street value of £4.5m after catching a whiff of the stash while passing by.

Passing a storage warehouse in Oswaldtwistle, near Blackburn, on Wednesday, neighbourhood officers caught the scent of the class B drug while patrolling in the area.

What they uncovered on the town’s Commercial Street is believed to be one of the largest drug seizures in the county.

Inside were numerous boxes filled with pre-packaged bags of what is believed to be cannabis resin and cannabis bush. No arrests have been made yet.

Detective chief inspector Tim Brown, from East Lancashire CID, said: "This significant discovery was the result of fantastic proactive police work, initially by neighbourhood policing team officers.

"While the investigation is still at an early stage, enquiries are progressing and I would encourage anybody who has seen unusual activity around this site in recent months to contact police."

Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire's police and crime commissioner, said: "The crucial work carried out by Lancashire officers in keeping drugs off our streets achieves real results like this that make our communities safer."

Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting log 0994 of 26 August, 2020. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111

Additional reporting by Press Association