Detectives have urged people to be wary of bogus road and electrical works which could be linked to drugs gangs.
The warning comes following Bedfordshire Police’s specialist Operation Costello organised crime team carrying out a warrant in Bedford this week.
The operation in Barkers Lane on Tuesday (27 February) uncovered a cannabis factory with a sophisticated growth set up.
The electricity supply to the property had been tampered with, with the pathway having been dug up in order to connect the mains electricity directly into the property via an extension cable.
Some 235 cannabis plants with a street value of up to £175,000 were located inside and seized.
Detective Inspector Ian Holden said: “These are ruthless criminal networks behind these cannabis operations – which pose all manner of danger to our communities.
“I have no doubt that the work to set this up would have caused power cuts to neighbouring properties, while even more properties had to have their power shut off for the repair work.
“This is immensely disruptive and frustrating, without even considering the wider safety implications in terms of things like fire risk.
“People need to be alert to these risks. If you see someone digging up a road, tampering with mains electricity and have your suspicions, I would urge you to contact police.”
