ANOTHER major cannabis farm has been uncovered in the Borders - the third this year.

But top cops admit the busts are forcing up prices and leading to escalating violence between gangs.

Drugs squad officers swooped on the remote property at Heriot last Thursday.

They discovered, what is believed to be, an industrial sized cultivation.

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland this week told the Border Telegraph: “Police in the Scottish Borders are currently investigating after a cannabis cultivation was recovered in the Heriot area on Thursday.

“Officers are currently pursuing a positive line of enquiry.”

The find comes just a fortnight after 500 cannabis plants were found in a former convenience store in Selkirk.

And a similar number of plants were found earlier this year in Hawick.

Cops have also arrested several suspected heroin and cocaine dealers in recent months.

But Divisional Commander Gill Imery believes that the lack of supply in the region is leading to a hike in street prices, escalating drug debts and violence.

Chief Superintendent Imery said: “There is a drug issue in the Scottish Borders.

“As we stop the supply chain the price goes up and so does the drug debts.

“These drug debts lead to other crimes being committed.”

In the past six months there have 36 suspected drug dealers arrested - well up on the 27 for last year.

But serious assaults have doubled since last year and robberies have also soared.

And Divisional Commander Gill Imery believes escalating turf wars between drug gangs are to blame.

The Chief Superintendent added: “These are not robberies and attacks on ordinary people in the street - these are between parties involved in criminality, which is drugs.

“We have seen an emergence of violent crime so far this year and we are doing everything we can to stop it.”

In the first six months of 2014/15 there were only three reported robberies, but for the same period this year officers have dealt with no fewer than 18 incidents.

Serious assaults across the region have jumped from 16 to 30.

Speaking at last week’s Safer Communities Board, Chief Inspector Andy McLean said: “There is a supply chain of drugs right across the Scottish Borders.

“We broke another supply chain this week in Heriot but this has the knock-on effect of pushing up the price.

“It is a difficult situation but we are getting under the skin of organised crime.”