Two charged after raids on drug farms

Pot plants worth £600,000 found

Cops have seized 800 pot plants with an estimated street value of £600,000 after swooping on cannabis farms in West Lothian.

Two men have been arrested and charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act following a largescale operation to target serious and organised crime.

Raids on business premises at Polbeth and Kirkton Campus Industrial Estates were carried out recently and uncovered £600,000 worth of the Class B drug.

During joint activity carried out by the East Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit, Lothians and Borders Proactive CID, Road Policing and local officers, a third business in Ratho was also searched.

Grzegorz Korinth (43) and Pawel Sliwinski (33) were arrested and both appeared on petition before Sheriff Michael Fletcher at Livingston Sheriff Court last Thursday.

They were each charged with producing and supplying a controlled drug.

Neither made any plea or declaration and the case against them was continued for further inquiries.

Korinth, from the West Midlands, who was charged with two counts of both offences, was remanded in custody and is expected to make a second appearance today (Thursday) to be fully committed for trial.

Sliwinski, from Livingston, who faces one charge under each section of the Misuse of Drugs Act, was released on bail. No date was set for a second appearance in his case.

Detective Inspector Arron Clinkscales from the East OCCTU said: “Tuesday’s activity was the culmination of detailed intelligence gathering, surveillance and planning and resulted in a massive haul of cannabis being recovered.

“Tackling organised crime is a local and national priority and we will continue to use information received from the public to bring offenders to justice.”

Chief Inspector Barry Blair, local area commander for West Lothian, added: “Our communities have made it abundantly clear that they will not tolerate drug dealing and associated offences in their area, and nor will we.

“This was a collaborative operation utilising a range of Police Scotland resources and because of the vital information we received from the public, a significant quantity of drugs has been seized before they could make their way onto our streets.

“If you would like to report ongoing criminal activity within your community then please contact us on 101 or make an anonymous call to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”