TWO men have been arrested and charged following the recovery of a large-scale cannabis cultivation in a commercial premise near Hawick.

On Wednesday, July 6, 2022, officers, acting on intelligence, searched outbuildings in Newmill on Teviot, recovering a large quantity of cannabis plants with an estimated street value of £1million.

A 20-year-old man and a 30-year-old man have been arrested and charged in connection with the incident and will appear at Jedburgh Sheriff Court today (Friday, July 8, 2022).

Detective Chief Inspector Bryan Burns, of Lothians and Scottish Borders CID, said: "Based on intelligence, both specialist and community officers, carried out a pro-active operation which resulted in a significant seizure of cannabis and the arrest of two men.

"The majority of cultivations that we uncover come from information given to us from our communities and I would like to thank the local community in the Scottish Borders for their continued support.

"I hope this operation highlights our determination to tackle drug activity at all levels.

"In addition to tackling and dismantling the cannabis cultivations themselves, we will continue to do everything in our powers to strip those responsible of their criminal assets using the Proceeds of Crime Act, so that they do not benefit financially from their crimes.

"I would encourage anyone with information or concerns about drugs within the local community to contact us on 101 or alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111."