LONDON – The normal bustle of London’s financial district has been eased by the latest national blockade, with companies closed and work transferred home.
But the sudden calm and the unexpected evacuation of a first-class property have made at least one venture (although illegal) thrive: a weed farm inside the house.
This ended last week, when the police discovered the criminal operation, which they called a “cannabis factory”, in a basement equipped with lighting and ventilation pipes in a commercial building not far from the Bank of England.
Responding to reports of a strong smell, police discovered 826 cannabis plants – the first such plant ever found in the financial district, according to London city police. “It was undoubtedly being armed in response to the smallest number of people circulating during the pandemic who could have noticed any unusual activity,” said Andy Spooner, the detective inspector who leads the investigation, in a statement released on Wednesday.
The city of London, as the financial district is called, was empty while the British government tried to contain the increase in coronavirus cases, instructing employees to work from home to contain the transmission. The area is usually crowded with people, especially on weekdays. The London Stock Exchange and the corporate headquarters of the major financial groups, as well as the Bank of England, are all grouped in the area, also known as the Square Mile.
A City of London spokeswoman said the force that policed the district normally deals with economic crimes, such as fraud. A drug bust was unusual, she noted.
Police said two people were arrested during the investigations.
It is illegal to grow, sell or use cannabis for recreational purposes in Britain. The supply or possession of the drug can result in up to 14 years in prison, a fine or both.
Pro-cannabis groups and some patients have been lobbying for the drug’s medicinal properties to be recognized, and since 2018, doctors have been allowed to legally issue marijuana prescriptions. The use of cannabis-based drugs was approved for use by the National Health Service of England and Wales in 2019.