Drugs gang hides £1.4m cannabis farm on old airbase where Queen Mother inspected RAF bomber crews


Drugs gang hides £1.4m cannabis farm on old World War Two airbase where Queen Mother inspected RAF Lancaster bomber crews in 1944

  • Over 1,600 plants found in warehouse built on site of ex-RAF Warboys airbase
  • Police were called on Sunday over a suspected burglary at industrial estate
  • Officers found warehouse was broken into and being used as cannabis factory 
  • Cambridgeshire Police said no arrests made, but investigations are ongoing

A drugs gang hid a cannabis farm worth £1.4million on an old World War Two airbase where the Queen Mother inspected RAF Lancaster bomber crews in 1944. 

Over 1,600 plants were found growing in 19 rooms in a warehouse built on the site of the former RAF Warboys heavy bomber station in Cambridgeshire.

Police were called at around 10.30pm on Sunday by a member of the public who suspected a burglary was taking place at an industrial estate on the old airfield.

Officers arrived to find that one of the warehouses had been broken into and was being used as a two-storey cannabis factory, housing 1,647 cannabis plants.

RAF Warboys become operational in July 1941 and its long runway was used by heavy bomber squadrons and the Pathfinder force. 

Three years after its opening, the site was visited by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II’s mother, who inspected flight and ground crews.

Over 1,600 plants were found growing in 19 rooms in a warehouse built on the site of the former RAF Warboys heavy bomber station in Cambridgeshire

Over 1,600 plants were found growing in 19 rooms in a warehouse built on the site of the former RAF Warboys heavy bomber station in Cambridgeshire

The cannabis plants discovered by police at the old RAF Warboys heavy bomber station. Police were called at around 10.30pm on Sunday to reports of a suspected burglary

The cannabis plants discovered by police at the old RAF Warboys heavy bomber station. Police were called at around 10.30pm on Sunday to reports of a suspected burglary

Queen Elizabeth II's mother seen inspecting flight and ground crews on a visit to Warboys, a station of the No 8 Pathfinder Group, in February 1944. An Avro Lancaster of No 156 Squadron, Royal Air Force, is seen in a T2 hangar

Queen Elizabeth II’s mother seen inspecting flight and ground crews on a visit to Warboys, a station of the No 8 Pathfinder Group, in February 1944. An Avro Lancaster of No 156 Squadron, Royal Air Force, is seen in a T2 hangar 

The drug farm, which filled 19 rooms, consisted of plants of varying sizes, with a street value of £1.38million.

Cambridgeshire Police officers saw two vehicles making off from the scene as they arrived. 

No arrests have yet been made, but investigations are ongoing.

Detective Sergeant Emma Garwood said: ‘With thanks to the information provided by a member of the public, a substantial amount of illegal drugs have been stopped from finding their way to the streets.

‘Drug trafficking is a source of revenue for organised crime groups, many of whom are involved in other forms of serious crime including modern slavery.

‘We would encourage people to continue to look out for signs of illegal cannabis factories.

Fans pictured at the cannabis factory. Cambridgeshire Police officers saw two vehicles making off from the scene as they arrived and no arrests have yet been made

Fans pictured at the cannabis factory. Cambridgeshire Police officers saw two vehicles making off from the scene as they arrived and no arrests have yet been made

The drug farm (pictured above), which filled 19 rooms, consisted of plants of varying sizes, with a street value of £1.38million

The drug farm (pictured above), which filled 19 rooms, consisted of plants of varying sizes, with a street value of £1.38million

‘These may include blacked-out windows of caravans, disused buildings and warehouses, and people coming and going at various times of the day.’

The bust comes two years after two men were jailed for a combined total of three years and eight months, over a £1.8million cannabis factory on the same airfield industrial estate.

Paulin Prenga, 28, and Sajmir Basha, 29, were jailed in March 2019 for two years, and one year eight months, respectively.

The pair grew more than 2,000 cannabis plants at the Warboys airfield.

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