POLICE arrested eight people after a dawn raid on a dope factory in Burnley on Tuesday where officers discovered 160 plants of the extra-strong cannabis variety 'skunk'. Worth between £25,000 and £30,000 the haul was found at a unit on Rossendale Road industrial estate. The 5am swoop was part of an operation codenamed Cedar, in which 60 officers raided addresses in Burnley, Colne, Manchester and North Wales. Seven men and one woman were arrested and other drugs and cash were recovered. Detectives say the operation will send a strong message to drug dealers in Burnley and Pendle and across the North West.

One of the men in charge, Inspector Dave Lea, said: "This is part of an intelligence-led police approach where we target individuals who so far have evaded our scrutiny - and this is an early success."

Police used a helicopter for the raid, which followed several weeks of inquiries.

Officers found the drugs in two back rooms of a unit in Caroline Court, off Billington Road.

The rooms were partially hidden behind piles of car tyres and were filled with mature, three-foot-high plants lit brightly from above by timer-controlled bulbs and cooled by a large electric fan.

Mr Lea said the plants were ready to be harvested and sold. Some leaves had already been picked and had been left to dry around one room.

Work went on as usual at nearby factories on Tuesday morning as forensic scientists searched for fingerprints and other evidence. Suspects were being held at police stations in East Lancashire.

Detective Inspector Tony Hilton, who has led other recent drugs raids in the area, said: "The find was not as large as the one earlier this year in Burnley at Cobden Street but it is still substantial."

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