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Two men appeared in court charged with production of cannabis after police discovered a multi-million pound factory in a disused bar in Walton.

Ly Nahn and Pham Chung, both of no fixed abode, appeared at Liverpool Magistrates Court this morning charged with producing a controlled drug.

They were arrested after police found more than 2,000 cannabis plants in the former Chucky's Bar on Rice Lane.

The pair had claimed they were 15 and 16 but after a discussion magistrates found the two defendants were at least 18.

The two men, who communicated through a Vietnamese interpreter in court, were remanded in custody.

They will appear at Liverpool Crown Court for a preliminary hearing on November 26.

A 35-year-old woman, a 38-year-old man, two 28-year-old men, a 35-year-old man and a 21-year-old man, all from Fazakerley, and a 46-year-old man from Wavertree who were also arrested on drugs offences following the raid have been released on bail.

Original story

Two teenagers were due in court today following a police raid on a multi-million pound cannabis factory in Walton.

More than 2,000 cannabis plants were discovered at the former Chucky's Bar, in Rice Lane, after police executed a warrant on Sunday afternoon.

Officers said the find was one of the largest ever uncovered in Merseyside.

Police today confirmed two youths aged 15 and 16, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have been charged with producing cannabis and were due to appear before city magistrates..

A further six men and a woman aged between 21 and 46 were released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of drugs offences.

Gallery: Police at the scene following discovery of cannabis farm

On Monday afternoon detectives began the huge task of dismantling the farm - officers were seen leaving the former bar with huge bags of cannabis.

Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Richardson, the head of Matrix, said: "This is a large and sophisticated cannabis factory containing thousands of plants across eleven growing rooms.

"The building is the former site of an old sports bar and walls have been knocked through to provide more space for an elaborate system of lighting and hydration in order to create the optimum growing conditions for the plants.

"I have no doubt that this was organised crime on a rarely seen scale and the fact that we have seized so many drugs out of the hands of criminals and prevented them from reaching the streets, where they fuel so much other crime, is extremely satisfying.

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"We have known for a long time that cannabis cultivation is not a harmless pastime and that in most cases has sinister links to criminal gangs.

"That is why we have a specialist cannabis dismantling team within Matrix who are highly trained at gathering evidence from these crime scenes and giving our detectives the best chance of a successful investigation into the criminals behind them."

He added: "The discovery of millions of pounds of drugs and the arrest of seven people demonstrates our commitment to tackling serious and organised crime here in Merseyside.

"Neighbourhood officers and specialist teams work side by side, to root out the people who seek to profit from drugs and the misery they cause.

"Today's seizure represents a hammer blow to the organised crime group behind this massive find."

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A worker at neighbouring shop said: "The police have been here since yesterday afternoon, about 3.30pm.

"They cut through the shutters at the back to get in.

"It seems like it's something big because they have been here since then, there have been loads of police cars and vans coming and going and lots of officers.

"The bar's been empty for years but at about the beginning of the year they cleared all of the furniture out of it into a container that's at the back car park.

"The police asked me about the container but I think there's just furniture in that."

Another shop worker said: "The bar's been closed for about four years.

"We'd heard it was going to be turned into flats, and then it was meant to be a Pound City.

"The police came into our shop last week to look out the back but we didn't know what was happening."

Anyone with information about cannabis farms or drug supply should call the anonymous Crimestoppers hotline on 0800 555111.