Photos have shown the inside of a drug factory set up inside an empty shop in Laindon Shopping Centre.
Police uncovered the 1,000-plant factory on Tuesday after being called to reports of a man acting suspiciously.
Photos reveal the inside of the unit and show the plants in various stages of development.
A police spokesman said the set-up was "sophisticated".
The 43-year-old, of no fixed address, was arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis this morning.
He remains in custody for questioning.
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