Two men have been cleared of running a £450,000 cannabis cultivation in a former bank building in Bellshill after claiming they were victims of human trafficking.
Police officers seized 748 plants and sophisticated growing equipment when they raided the former Royal Bank of Scotland premises on January 4 this year.
Hung Van Ho, 21, and Hoang Nguyen, 18, were arrested and charged with producing cannabis and bypassing the electricity meter.
They were held in custody after an initial appearance at Hamilton Sheriff Court, but the Crown Office has now confirmed there will be no further proceeding.
When accused persons claim to have been victims of human trafficking, prosecutors refer the case to the Home Office for officials there to investigate before deciding whether to press ahead with charges.
A Crown Office spokesman said: “Scotland’s prosecutors are committed to protecting the human rights of the victims of trafficking.
“After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of this case, including the available admissible evidence, the procurator fiscal decided that there should be no further proceedings taken at this time.
"The Crown reserves the right to proceed in the future."
The building in Main Street, Bellshill, had lain empty after the RBS branch closed in 2018.
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