600 cannabis plants with a street value upwards of £500,000 were discovered after police raided the property on Yarm Lane.

600 cannabis plants with a street value upwards of £500,000 were discovered after police raided the property on Yarm Lane.Officers from Stockton Drugs Unit and Stockton Neighbourhood Support Team swooped on the premises as part of an intelligence-led operation.Landlord Shakil Hussain, 32, said he had been renting out the flat - which is above a separate shop unit - to a tenant he believed was from the Far East.He said: “I was shocked to find this going on after police told me about the raid. I had no idea.“The flat was seriously damaged, I don’t know the full extent because at the moment it is still a crime scene and I haven’t been in yet.“But it will need completely refurbishing. It had been nicely done out, I don’t know how much it will cost me.”Mr Hussain said the shop below was entirely separate from the first and second floor flat rented out above, and was due to reopen as a clothes shop.A Cleveland Police spokesperson said today: “Enquiries are ongoing at the moment to trace the persons responsible who rented these premises. Mr Hussain is not a suspect in the case.”As well as 304 mature cannabis plants and 320 young cannabis seedlings, police discovered a large amount of cannabis bush drying out in the loft area of the building. Together these drugs are estimated to have a potential street value of more than £500,000.They also found “professional” equipment used for cultivating the plants - hydroponics, sophisticated lighting, fans and ventilation