A gang took over a property owned by a footballer and forced the tenant to let them grow cannabis, it has been claimed.
It’s then believed the woman had to live there surrounded by plants.
When the police raided the home, the footballer had to prove his innocence to avoid being charged, according to a source.
A source told : ‘This player owns the house in the north west as part of a buy-to-let empire.
‘Another family member manages the properties but they couldn’t believe it when cops found a large-scale cannabis farm.
‘The plants were taken away and destroyed and the player had to show paperwork to prove that while he was the owner of the property, he had someone else living in it.’
They said police released the woman without charge believing she was set up by the gang.
Landlords who suspect illegal drug activity in properties they own but do not report the crime can face similar penalties to the perpetrators of the crime.
Rental income can also be seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Last week a former professional football player was jailed for 30 years.
Wayne McKenzie, 48, from Liverpool and his brother Craig imported cocaine and cannabis from the US, Spain, and the Netherlands from March to June 2020.
He was also involved in importing firearms during the same period.
McKenzie, from Liverpool, imported drugs and then organized for others to transport them through the UK to customers, where they had a street value of £2 million.
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