Observant neighbours spotted a group of men acting suspiciously and leaving a house carrying cannabis plants, which led police to an illegal drugs operation.
Residents saw suspects putting the drugs in a red BMW and provided police with the registration number to track down and make an arrest.
Officers arrived at the scene within minutes and saw cannabis leaves and mud trampled into the carpet in the Newark house.
Once inside, they discovered a substantial cannabis grow over two floors, with plants in one room partially harvested and a large mature grow in two other bedrooms.
Officers were then able to track and locate the car in connection with an incident in Mansfield and spotted men unpacking the drugs into a ground floor flat in Shirland Drive.
A 52-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of burglary, possession of class B drug and production of a class B drug.
Detective Sergeant Julian Eminson-Ferry is leading the investigation. He said: “Thanks to local residents reporting suspicious activity, officers were able to make a quick arrest.
“The neighbours suspicions were well-founded and their actions led to the discovery of a significant quantity of drugs.
“Officers were called at around 8am on Tuesday (18 May) to Cardinal Hinsley Close in Newark-on-Trent following a report of people loading the plants into a car.
“Police were at both scenes in Newark and Mansfield to offer reassurance to the community yesterday and the force’s cannabis dismantling team have seized a variety of plants and items to help with their investigation.
“This kind of cannabis cultivation is a blight on our communities and is often linked to more serious offences such as serious acts of violence. We will not tolerate people setting up these illegal drug factories and will continue with our efforts to disrupt their activities.
“Not only is cannabis growing illegal, but it can also be extremely dangerous due to the fire risk, especially if people are living in adjoining properties.
“We have a number of teams actively patrolling our streets and they work with intelligence and information provided from members of the public to uncover any criminality.
“Information from the public is vital in helping us crack down on drug crime and I’d urge anyone with any information about suspected drug-related activity in their community to get in touch with us. You will be listened to and we will investigate the matter.
“If you have any suspicions about drug-related crime then please call police on 101.”
The arrested man has since been released on bail pending further enquiries.
