Major cannabis factory found ... due to break in

The subsequent police investigation netted what the PSNI dubbed “suspected drugs worth an estimated street value of £180,000”.

The incident unfolded in Keady, south Armagh, at around 4.10am on Saturday.

The PSNI said they received a report that four males had been seen breaking the window of a property in Kinelowen Street,which runs through the centre of the village.

Police said the males were then seen “entering the vacant premises before leaving in what was described as a white Ford Transit-type van”.

They added: “Local officers from Armagh on patrol responded and attended the address where they seized around 360 suspected cannabis plants inside the premises.”

Detective Chief Inspector Brian Foster described it as a “substantial seizure”, and thanked the member of the public who called the initial incident in.

He added: “I also want to make a number of appeals. Were you in the Kinelowen Street area of Keady between 4am and 4.10am? Did you see any suspicious activity?

“Did you see four males acting suspiciously, or did you see a white Ford Transit-type van being driven in a suspicious manner?

“We know that drugs can ruin lives and line the pockets of organised criminals, and we are determined to disrupt these criminal gangs.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 201 of 27/04/19, or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.