TWO men have been charged with producing cannabis after police raided a former bank in Kidderminster.

Artur Pasha, aged 32 and Artilez Kafexhiu, aged 33, both of no fixed abode, are set to appear in court after police found around £500,000 of cannabis at the old Royal Bank of Scotland site on Worcester Street on Monday (November 25).

The warrant was carried out after concerns were raised about the smell of cannabis coming from the building. 650 cannabis plants were seized by police following the raid. 

The two defendants have been remanded in custody and will appear at Worcester Crown Court on December 23.

Following the raid, detective sergeant Kirsty Hill, from the North Worcestershire County Lines team, said: “This is a fantastic result which has seen us remove a significant quantity of cannabis from the streets.

“This was a sophisticated operation with specialist lighting and ventilation systems to maximise the number of class B drugs that could be cultivated. 

“These grows are often linked to serious and organised crime groups, human trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable people, and can present significant fire safety risks to the people in the surrounding area.

“This warrant sends a clear message, that we will not tolerate criminal activity within our communities, and we will act upon information provided by members of the public.”