Man jailed after cannabis worth half a million pounds found in Fenland

Officers from Cambridgeshire Police’s Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT) and Special Constabulary (volunteer police officers) paid a visit to Fen View in Doddington on 20 June after receiving information about suspicious activity in the area.

The officers were immediately drawn to the strange condition of a property which had all its curtains drawn at 5pm in the middle of summer, the clear sound of fans coming from inside and a distinct smell of cannabis in the air.

They knocked on the front door and had no reply but saw 42-year-old Sean Riley in the kitchen – he let officers in and was arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis.

Inside, almost every room had been converted for use in the large-scale cannabis production, containing 661 plants, more than 10kg of harvested cannabis and 111g of cannabis resin all with a value of up to £656,425.

Riley, of St James’ Lane in Muswell Hill, Greater London, was charged with producing cannabis, possession of cannabis and possession with intent to supply cannabis, all of which he admitted in court.

Yesterday (Monday 8 November), he was jailed for two years at Peterborough Crown Court.

Detective Constable Rhian Jones, who investigated, said: “This house stood out to officers who acted on their instincts and found a substantial cannabis factory which has now removed a significant amount of drugs from our streets.

“Members of the public are a vital part of policing as the eyes and ears of our communities – if something doesn’t seem right, it more often than not isn’t which is why I would encourage anyone with concerns to get in touch with us.”