A 36-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with the production of cannabis after police found a sophisticated drug factory hidden in plain sight on a busy Gwent high street.

Gwent Police officers smashed the windows of the former TUI site, which is the unit next to the WHSmith on Chepstow High Street and found a cannabis production which spanned across all five floors of the building.

Residents claim to have seen the man in question running away before being arrested.

Many had been smelling cannabis in the area for a while, and so despite not knowing for certain what was happening at the time of the raid, most suspected a drug farm.

A spokesperson for Gwent Police said: "Officers carried out a warrant, under the Misuse of Drugs Act, at a disused commercial premises on High Street, Chepstow, at around 8.30am on Monday 4 November.

"We arrested a man on suspicion of the production of a class B controlled drug – cannabis.

"The man, aged, 36, was charged with being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug of class B – cannabis, and production of a controlled drug of class B – cannabis.

"He was also charged with abstracting/using electricity without authority."

PC Hywel Evans, the officer in the case, said: "This cannabis cultivation in Chepstow was discovered following reports of suspicious activity inside the building.

"While producing cannabis may not seem like a serious offence, it can often be linked to sophisticated organised crime groups.

“Every cannabis factory we dismantle helps disrupt these operations, the plants are stopped from being sold into our communities and the profits are prevented from going on to fund other crime.

“The public play an important role in providing information and we encourage anyone with concerns about illegal drugs in their area to get in touch so that we can take action."

"If you have any information or CCTV footage that could assist our investigation, contact us via the website, call 101, or direct message us on our Facebook or X pages, quoting log reference 2400363128.

"Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, with information."