Are the Police able to set up Hydroponics stores as stings?

[DemonPigeon]

I went in to this new hydro store a while back, proper weird, about 4 staff members, sitting around and very chatty, asking what I'd got growing, how many plants, how "silly" it is that growers are paranoid "espeically when everyone knows what these shops are for"... Just freaked me right out, (especially as they seemed to know fuck all about weed and have no hisotry with it by thier own admission) obviously I said I was growing tomatoes and got out of there.
A friend of mine went in there and he got the same weird chatty stuff...

Now I'm probably a little lax on security from time to time; I don't mind talking fairly frankly in my usual hydro store, they've been there almost a decade and they're often smoking weed out the back. Also initially we both treated each other with due caution and it took a good few visits before I felt comfortable asking for advice without giving a fictional preamble about legumes or houseplants.

Even so, on your first visit to a new shop there's some stuff that just rings alarm bells.
One of my friends went in for the first time recently and bought some growing stuff... he was offered some free bud if he came back on a certain day...
Now if that's not suspicious as fuck I don't know what is!
He's actually planning on going back... idiot...

That said, I don't know if the police are allowed to set up that kind of sting, I'd have thought it'd be entrapment but either way I thought I'd put it out there for fellow UKers to get your opinions and warn you to be on your guard with new grow shops.

 

[SkunkMunkie]

Sounds well sketchy to me, I'd shop elsewhere. If they aint cops then they're most likely lookin to rob you. Always pay in cash, don't let them get your addy or you may get a call from something much worse than the law.

Stay safe, security is top of the list for us UK growers.

 

[sallyforthDeleted member 75382]

Does not sound right.

I do know the police sometimes watch the comings and goings of people visiting growshops, get your registration plate on your car and then go from there. They still won't sting you right away, but play a waiting game while all the while checking you out. Cost's them a fair bit of their budget which is ever diminishing at the moment.

Around my ways they can't afford to run the helicopters, only in emergency or a high profile case. Makes me sleep a bit easier.

But as always never take anything for granted when it comes to security.

 

[DemonPigeon]

That's what I was thinking I've not been back since my first visit and I've said to my mates they should do the same... mostly they agree with me:
chatty is fine,
new is fine,
both is suspicios
Disinterested in weed but running a hydrostore? plain weird
And offering bud to customers if they come back on a set day? fucking alarm bells going off on that one!

 

[bigAl25]

This is a fine reason to switch to organic soil grows and avoid the hydro shops all together. Here in the US you won't encounter that shady stuff at Home Depot or Lowes. Hell it's just organic potting soil like all the soccer moms are buying, and they have 400 watt replacement bulbs cheap. Good thing you are on guard though. Stay safe.

 

[GMT]

Yes they can, no it's not entrapment. You went in there of your own free will. It would only be entrapment if you said you were looking to grow tomatoes and they offered you weed seeds/clones and said they would pay you if you brought the product back. If they say everyone knows what "these stores" are for and ask you about your grow, and you tell them, then that is a legitimate intelligence gathering operation (according to the law).
Saying that though I went into holland hydroponics at their old addy in manc years ago, and they wanted my addy to add to their mailing list for discount offers. When I refused to give it, the girl at the counter shouted back to the manager, "hey this guy doesn't want to give me his address", needless to say my arse was twitchng. The guy came out from the back and shrugged his shoulders and said "so what?". I guess she was just a new employee. Everyone else rates them but I've never ordered from them because of it.

 

[wantaknow]

operation green merchant ,,,and they have done this in new orleans la already

 

[944s2]

hiya,,this new shops sounds really not cool, i been dealing with same grow shops for years and we all know what we are talking about without ever mentioning the c word and any legit grow shop will bang the phone down if you mention the word cannabis,,we all know its bollocks but you cant mention the c word also bearing in mind that grow shop staff could be arrested,,no this new shop stinks even if not ds then something else untoward or just plain stupid..avoid at all costs,,,peace s2

 

[FRIENDinDEED]

sounds like some shit slimey ass cops would do, setup a grow shop to catch small time folks just tryin to catch a descent smoke .

you know it burns me when I think about it. here you are growing a couple plants so you can have something to smoke, you don't have to deal with sketchy ppl or be in sketchy areas, hold a descent job, take care of yourself, mind your own damned business and all they want to do is cause all types of fuck all nonsense in your life and for what? to prove a pointless point?

that's one of those places where you need to be just as forward as they are. I tell my friends' who have to deal with ppl and their lip that there is always a certain way to talk to ppl and approach ppl to get them off of their offensive and put them on the defensive with the bullshit that they like to spew.

in that shop either they are just plain fucking dense or it really is a "watch shop" so to speak.

I say if they get loud like that with you then you get straight forward with them. they say "everyone knows what the shop is for" then you ask " ok, so what is your shop here for?" make them say shit the same way they are tying to make you say shit, and let them know that your not the one for the bullshit.

the one thing I cant stand about those bastards is the audacity they have to think that ppl are just that fuckin stupid.

as the old saying goes "sometimes a great offense is the best defense"

 

[DemonPigeon]

Yeah I've heard it's happened stateside but I wasn't sure about whther it is legitimate under UK law...

Sounds awful GMT... :-S I'd hate that

I mentioned I collected seeds but that was it, made an effort to divert any questions back to his own grows and I've not had any trouble in the 3 months since.
I'd never give a name or address and I took a incrediably looping route home using both crowded areas and deserted ones so that no one could follow easily and I'd be able to notice if someone was. So I'm pretty happy that they don't know where I live and I don't drive to hydro stores so no numberplate.
I'm pretty confident I'll be fine.

I only brought it up because of my friend being offered weed in there, it just confirmed my belief that there's something going down.

Is there anything you can do when someone offers you drugs?
Aside from 'just say no' I mean...

 

[944s2]

Yeah I've heard it's happened stateside but I wasn't sure about whther it is legitimate under UK law...

Sounds awful GMT... :-S I'd hate that

I mentioned I collected seeds but that was it, made an effort to divert any questions back to his own grows and I've not had any trouble in the 3 months since.
I'd never give a name or address and I took a incrediably looping route home using both crowded areas and deserted ones so that no one could follow easily and I'd be able to notice if someone was. So I'm pretty happy that they don't know where I live and I don't drive to hydro stores so no numberplate.
I'm pretty confident I'll be fine.

I only brought it up because of my friend being offered weed in there, it just confirmed my belief that there's something going down.

Is there anything you can do when someone offers you drugs?
Aside from 'just say no' I mean...

hiya,,sounds like you did the right thing demonp,,,wondering if you live in a quiter part of the uk as cant imagine police having funds or staff or inclination to do this sort of thing in one of the bigger inner cities but if in area thats got a hard-on for weed then i suppose it would be possible for police to pull this kind of shit,,wont effect you though demon p,,keep safe,,peace and safe growing s2

 

[lost in a sea]

there are grow shops popping up everywhere run by people who obviously have no idea about how to grow bud,, i wouldnt imagine from what you said you were dealing with cops.. but they sound like a security risk non the less, if someone offered to sell me bud at a grow store i would give them serious shit..

the guys at holland hydro are sound,, they see big time mafia in there and dont fuck about..

 

[DemonPigeon]

There's something like 5 or more local hydroponics shops now (including this one), there must be a big demand, nor is it very urban around here. You're right though I don't imagine home cupboard stuff is within their sphere of interest, at least I'd hope they're going for bigger targets...

There's a few big grows going on nearby for definate.
For a start whenever I buy weed I find my local friends who buy elsewhere within the same few weeks usually all end up with the same weed.
This month we've all ended up with Haze, someone must be churning it out by the kilo.

 

[GreenPlant]

Bricked myself when leaving a hydro shop in manchester with two bottles of co2 quite recently!

"thought of the stories ive heard of the police tailing cars!?"




If they want to but feel they wouldnt bother. BTW

 

[Luv a Grow]

Fellas, be extra careful, how you behave in grow shops its serious important!
If they start talking about canna specifics i.e plants, clones, buds, mug them off and walk away from the shop, do your business elsewhere.
Police regular stalk grow shops nowadays as do criminals.
I try to stay away from grow shops or go in low key and many miles from any grow and I take the scenic route home.

It's changed, years ago I used to smoke out the back with the owners, trade clones etc, now I don't.

Stay safe all

 

[GreenPlant]

Have to smile tho.. Many ppl in there had red eyes etc.Bet we were all thinking the same thing..
Then i get 2x co2 bottles! Confirmed lol

 

[EclipseFour20]

Think "rope a dope"...hydro shop owners/employees/managers are also ripe for police intimidation to exchange a "favor" for "information". It does not have to be that person's legal issue neither, it could easily be someone they know--like a wife, girl friend, buddy, etc that is in the jam. Want to hear some crazy war stories, buy a litigator a drink at a bar (or work for one) and ask them how cops get info.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

if the shop your on about is in the manchester area and has an aquarium as well then the owner is a known grass to the police, ive been in there getting dog food and the police have been in there looking at the cctv and having a bru with dave the owner/grass. the name of the shop is the dudes name followed by the word aquarium

 

[DemonPigeon]

It's not but thanks for the tip very helpful

 

[DemonPigeon]

Likewise with the heads up relating to manchester for anyone who is in the north staffordshire area: the one that worries me is a Hydroponics shop that believes it's existance to be critical