Agents manage cannabis farms

A pair of estate agents have been found guilty of growing cannabis at rental properties they managed.

The pair from Forest Hill’s Home to Home estate agents were found to have forged tenancy agreements for properties used as cannabis factories.

Aidan Lynch, 51, and Jason Smart, 47 were jailed for five years at Woolwich Crown Court for one count of conspiracy to produce cannabis and six counts of permitting a premises to be used as a cannabis factory. 

Police discovered 526 cannabis plants growing in four interlinked tunnels below a parade of shops in Crystal Palace. The police estimate the cannabis to have a street value of £497,000. 

After further investigation the police found evidence that Lynch had previously used at least seven other properties as cannabis factories.

Detective Constable Kirsty Marchi, the investigating officer from Lewisham, commented:

"Lynch and Smart ran a very sophisticated operation and they thought they would get away with it, but the execution of the drugs warrant at the address at Crystal Palace Parade brought their operation crashing down."

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