The gang from South East Asia is believed to be behind a number of cannabis factories across the province which have been smashed by police..

The local factory, at a house on Trasna Way, is believed to have been targeted as part of the operation..

Police raided the house two week's ago but details are just emerging on the wider scale of the crackdown.

On Monday police released updated figures for the major anti-drugs operation.

In a statement they said: "The PSNI Drug Squad and uniformed officers from all policing districts in Northern Ireland have shut down a large number of cannabis factories involved in the cultivation of cannabis plants."

This operation began late last year. Since then, the PSNI have searched 74 properties, made 76 arrests and charged 52 people, all of them from South East Asia

They have recovered 21,500 cannabis plants with a street value of £10.75 million and seized 176 kilos of herbal cannabis with a street value of £1.7 million

Police have also seized £120,000 in cash and substantial amounts of equipment used in the cultivation process.

A spokesperson said: "This proactive operation will continue over the coming weeks when more premises will be searched. It is the latest stage in the PSNI’s fight against organised criminals involved in the illegal drugs trade, who attempt to manufacture and sell drugs in Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom."

The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Inspector Peter Moore from the PSNI Drug Squad, repeated the police view that this illegal activity was being carried out by individuals from outside Northern Ireland - not the well-established resident Chinese population.

DI Moore urged the local community to continue to work with police, if they had suspicions about premises in their area. .

DI Moore said: “There is a significant threat of fire with cannabis factories. A house full of electric fans and heaters, combined with water, is an obvious fire risk. People who run cannabis factories have been found to tamper with electricity supplies in a very amateurish fashion. Put all of these ingredients together and you have a recipe for disaster. You have a great potential for destruction of property, serious injury, even death.”

Call your local police on 0845 600 8000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if you are suspicious.