HUNDREDS of cannabis plants seized after police raided a drug den were shredded in the middle of a town centre as “gobsmacked” shoppers looked on.
Essex Police officers cordoned off a section of High Street, in Colchester, yesterday as they dismantled equipment used to grow roughly 500 cannabis plants.
The drug paraphernalia was retrieved from a flat above the Poppins Café and Restaurant, which has reportedly not opened since appearing in the area.
Everything from large heat lamps and bulbs to lengthy cables were dumped in large boxes positioned on the pavement.
After widening the cordon, officers then offloaded a petrol-powered shredding machine from a police van before starting to chop down the cannabis plants.
The extraordinary sight of hundreds of Class B drugs being shredded in the town centre attracted intrigued shoppers, who swarmed the scene as a potent smell of cannabis filled the air.
Martin Byle, who was out shopping for jewellery, said: “Drugs have got to be produced somewhere I guess, so I am not shocked.
“But I am surprised they have been found in the High Street. I have sons who have been around that culture through college and university so you know it is out there.
“You have got to have some front to do that but sometimes doing it under people’s noses is the best way because nobody expects it – it is interesting.”
Sofya Myakoshina, operations manager of The George, positioned opposite the drug den, said she was stunned.
“We were all very shocked that something like this could happen on the High Street in Colchester right under our noses,” she added.
“Judging by the photos they have been there for a long time - if nothing else, it gives us a little bit of excitement.”
Speaking anonymously, another shopper said: “I’m gobsmacked, I actually thought someone had been murdered.
“I could do with one of the heaters though, because it’s freezing where I live. I used to know people who would smoke this sort of stuff and it’s just horrible.”
The police discovered the cannabis grow on Tuesday afternoon and initially arrested four men on suspicion of cannabis cultivation.
Phong Nguyen, 22, and Tam Nguyen, 26, both of no fixed abode, were charged with producing a Class B drug and appeared in Colchester Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
A 39-year-old man remains in custody, while a 58-year-old man has been released under investigation.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article