Three men admit producing cannabis in Birkenhead valued at around £2m

Mar 16 2011 by Matt Hurst, Birkenhead News

THREE men behind a multi-million pound cannabis factory in Birkenhead were jailed for two years each on Friday.

Brothers, John Faulkner, 26 and Karl Faulkner, 36, both of Rock Lane West, Birkenhead; and Michael Cree, 26 of Dalton Close, Blacon, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court and admitted producing cannabis estimated to be worth between £1.6m and £3.8m.

The convictions followed a successful raid by police on commercial premises in Marshall Street, Birkenhead in October last year.

Officers and trained members of the Wirral tactical team discovered a hidden entrance to a cellar in the building.

At the time of the raid, the contents of the cellar were described by force expert PC Buckley as “one of the most sophisticated set-ups I have ever seen, containing cannabis plants that could produce £2m of the class B controlled drug every year”.

The three men were arrested as they tried to leave the premises, but they did not go quietly.

Michael Cree was sentenced to an additional six months imprisonment for dangerous driving after colliding with several police cars as the three tried to make good their escape.