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Today we (BPCA) received a call at our community centre from concerned resident of Clementswood Ward, Ryan Duggan, who expressed great anxiety at 16 bags of Cannabis that had been dumped before a property on Gordon Road, Ilford.
Mr Duggan was concerned about the full bags of Cannabis that were being collected by a number of vehicles and individuals, who seemed to be opportunists rather then a coordinated crime syndicate.
Mr Duggan was concerned about the availability of the bags to children and young people and he asked what should be done to safeguard vulnerable people, and prevent an increase in local crime. Our Chairman Wilson Chowdhry, asked Mr Duggan to bring any remaining bags to our offices, which he duly did.
On receipt of the bags Mr Chowdhry immediately called the local Police and cycled across to the address where the cannabis had been found, to take images of other evidence of the crime (see below). A large police van with two officer’s arrived within 20 minutes. The attending officers were flabbergasted at the amount of cannabis that had been left on the open streets. They advised Mr Chowdhry and Mr Duggan that the street value of Cannabis, is around £50 per gram and that the value of the two bags was worth somewhere in the region of £10,000. They praised the BPCA for their work with local people that was bridging the gap between community and local police.
Mr Duggan said;
“Dumping of addictive substances like ‘weed’ on the streets in this manner is dangerous, it can attract and create crime and endangers children and young people. The landlord who did this should be prosecuted!”
Mr Chowdhry Chairman of Clementswood Community centre said;
“Landlords need to made responsible and accountable for their actions. I am glad that we were able to remove some of the illegal substance from the streets as it could have got into the wrong hands. I am concerned at the growing use of cannabis in Ilford. In 2009 the BPCA was unsuccessful with a campaign to have warning signs placed in local parks, where public usage seem to be tolerated. At the time Police felt crime of this nature was not significant enough for such action – I wonder if this is still true?”
Read Ilford Recorder article about Wilson’s campaign to remove cannabis smoking from parks (Click Here)
He added;
“The fact that this cannabis factory was never discovered whilst live is disconcerting. I hope an investigation of the previous tenants ensues and that the perpetrators of the crime are caught. It is obvious that such copious amounts were not being grown for personal use and that the plants were being grown to be sold on the growing local black market. The culprits should be caught and sentenced severely. Our local criminal fraternity must be taught that drug crime which traps people in long term addictions, will be met with the full weight of the law.”
Mr Chowdhry was successful with a campaign that resulted in the extension of the local ‘Controlled Drinking Zone’ across our whole borough and removal of super strength beer from local off-licences (Ilford Recorder article). He hopes that better policing of local parks and potential warning signs will deter public cannabis smoking in our local parks, as he believes that parks are frequented by young people who can be negatively influenced by existing impunity.
Incubator trays and other drug factory paraphernalia were discovered.
Cannabis plant stalks and growing bags were found.