The proprietor of a Portstewart dwelling was stunned to learn his tenants were fully embroiled in a criminal operation.

Police searched the house in the tranquil north coast beauty spot last month after receiving information that as many as four bedrooms at the address had been adapted for the cultivation of cannabis.

The occupants of the property were of south east Asian origin.
Clearing up the aftermath is expensive with the landlord believing the clean-up operation could rise as high as £10,000.

Speaking to the News Letter anonymously, the property-owner described the resulting inconvenience as "incomprehensible".

"I just bought the property last year and just wanted to get some rental income off it so that I could eventually pay it off and have it as a holiday home," he explained.

"I got a rental agent involved and they rented it out for me to a Chinese family.

"Everything went swimmingly – until about six weeks ago."

The tenants entered the address in January and as an agent was involved, the landlord had no need for contact with those residing in the property.

However, an encounter with an occupant at the house arose the first inkling of suspicion.

"When I called, I met what I would describe a very distinguished oriental lady at the door.

"She was wearing next to nothing – she had a very expensive and very see-through outfit on.

"The police believe this lady may have been some sort of a companion for the gardeners."

The landlord explains it is not uncommon for the perpetrators in an operation of this kind to be locked in a house with basic needs but every so often a prostitute would be arranged to come in and spend a week in their company. Rent arrears would confirm any lingering suspicions.

"One month's rent was missing and the letting agent called at the address and knocked at the door but no one answered.

"After opening the door with their own key, they discovered a full cannabis factory."

After the police were alerted, the extent of the cannabis harvesting became a reality.

"The police wouldn't tell me the full extent exactly but it appears the culprits were using the four bedrooms and the garage and it was described as 'huge'.

"They would have been harvesting in my estimation on their commercial rate about £150,000 to £250,000 every eight weeks.

"The street value would be more than double I would have thought"

The landlord also described the operation as "very professionally run" so as not to attract attention from potential wary neighbours.

"They actually put a type of false light up behind the blind, which they seemed to open slightly and then a false blind was placed in behind.

"This created an illusion that the blinds were open when they were actually not.

"It was all very well thought out," he added.

The proprietor of the house is now counting the cost of the activities of his former tenants.

"The damage is shocking. The inconvenience is incomprehensible with the breaking of the tenancy agreement and hassle of getting the place tidied and set up again.

"I've had to take time off work to be interviewed by police and organise cleaning – there is at least £5,000 to £10,000 worth of damage."

Undeterred, the landlord is unwavering in his determination to let the property again and bears no ill will towards the rental agents.

Having learned a lot from the experience, our anonymous property-owner has simple advice for his peers.

"You need to know your letting agent. They need to be of a very high calibre and very shrewd in the market.

"They need to definitely inspect the property every six to eight weeks in order to break the harvesting cycle," he added.