A LARGE amount of cannabis which had been packed up and ready to hit the streets of Swindon has been seized in a police raid on Friday afternoon.

Officers from the East Swindon Neighbourhood Policing Team, acting on intelligence, swooped on a property in Park South, to discover a 21-year-old man in possession of a significant amount of cannabis.

The drugs will now be destroyed and the man was arrested on suspicion of possession of cannabis with intent to supply.

He was interviewed at Gablecross Police Station and has now been released on police bail, pending further enquiries.

Wiltshire Police are now appealing for anyone with further information about the incident to contact them as soon as possible.

Inspector Joe Saunders, sector head for East Swindon, said: “We went into an address in Park South on a drugs warrant, where we found a significant amount of cannabis.

“It happened on Friday afternoon and a 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply.

“He has now been released on bail while officers carry out further investigations.”

Insp Saunders said this was a significant seizure, particularly considering the fact the drugs were ready for distribution.

“We still need to confirm the exact amount seized, but at this stage it appears it is probably in the region of about £800 worth,” he said.

“When we talk about cannabis factories we talk about the potential yield, and that is where you find unharvested plants.

“On this occasion it was packed up and prepared, so it is quite a significant amount. It was found through a warrant we had appealed for, which indicates we had some solid intelligence.”

Insp Saunders added information from the public is vital in pursuing the trail of drugs, and urged anyone with information to come forward.

“We do want to get out to the community the value of information we recieve when the public speak to us,” he said.

“We do have to be sure, and there are a number of ways we check information. We have to be relatively confident before we feel ready to swear a warrant out. It is great that on this occasion it has yielded results.”

Anyone with any information about the incident should contact Sergeant Lawrence Copeland or PC Nick Payne at the Swindon East NPT on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be left anonymously.