Police in the north-eastern town of Szczecin have discovered a marijuana plantation hidden in a basement after catching the scent of the drug’s distinctive odour during a routine patrol.

Three people have been taken into custody following the bust, police spokesman Przemyslaw Kimon told the PAP news agency, Wednesday morning.

Police stumbled upon the plantation when on a routine patrol in a garden allotment. When walking down one of the allotment’s paths, the policemen caught a strong scent of marijuana.

After staking out the area, the policemen noticed a man coming out of one of the garden houses, who then went to another house opposite. After questioning the man, the policemen found dried marijuana leaves as well as a bag of gardening earth.

The policemen then revealed a trapdoor leading to a basement, where they found a few dozen marijuana plants which had grown to over a metre tall. The basement was also equipped with ventilators, lamps and heaters.

If found guilty of possession and cultivation of the drug, the three detainees may be sentenced up to eight years in prison. (jb)