The discovery of a multi-million-pound cannabis farm in Gravesend has led to seventeen arrests and uncovered more plantations.

The suspects from across Kent, London, Norfolk and Essex have been charged with conspiring to produce cannabis and abstracting electricity. They are due to appear before Maidstone Crown Court on June 24.

Officers uncovered the massive operation at the Canal Basin after raiding the buildings under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Officers are said to have found thousands of plants growing in an industrial estate in June 2015, and the investigation led officers to further large cannabis cultivations in Sittingbourne and Norfolk.

The group were arrested in March this year and 13 of them appeared at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Monday, April 25 where they were released on bail until their appearance at crown court in June.

Michael Jay Corcoran, 27, of Odo Rise, Gillingham; Ellie Corcoran, 20, of Commercial Road, Paddock Wood; Andrew Prowse, 32, of Southampton Way, Camberwell, London; and Stefan-Alex Henderson-Clarke, 26, of Kennedy Walk, Walworth, London have been charged with four counts of conspiracy to produce cannabis and three counts of abstracting electricity.

Colin Walls, 51, of The Avenue, Gravesend; David Heath, 47, of Wentworth Crescent, Peckham, London; and Garry McIntrye, 35, of Alfred Road, Brentwood, Essex have been charged with three counts of abstracting electricity and three counts of conspiring to produce cannabis.

Stuart Sollis, 50, of Bowyer Street, Camberwell, London has been charged with five counts of conspiracy to produce cannabis and three counts of abstracting electricity.

In relation to the offences in Sittingbourne, Christopher Marsh, 29, of Kathleen Court, Margate and Alan Marquiss, 68, of Disraeli Close, Thamesmead, London have been charged with one count of abstracting electricity and one count of conspiring to produce cannabis.

A 17-year-old boy has also been charged with one count of abstracting electricity and one count of conspiring to produce cannabis.

The offences in Norfolk led to Terrence Murphy, 46, of Caspian Way, Purfleet, Essex and Stephen Creed, 45, of Beccles Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk being charged with one count of abstracting electricity and one count of conspiring to produce cannabis.

A further four people were remanded in custody after appearing at Maidstone Crown Court on April 12.

Michael Edward Corcoran, 50, of Mount Avenue, Yalding, Maidstone, has been charged with seven counts of conspiring to produce cannabis and five counts of abstracting electricity.

James Allen, 38, of Woolwich Road, Abbey Wood, London, has been charged with six counts of conspiring to produce cannabis and four counts of abstracting electricity.

Stephen Martin Macey, 24, of Commercial Road, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge and David Graham, 50, of Plaistow Lane, Bromley, have been charged with six counts of conspiring to produce cannabis and five counts of abstracting electricity.