Police seize cannabis worth £1.5m during raids across Lancashire
24 cannabis farms were identified, with 16 people being arrested
Last updated 6th Jul 2023
Lancashire Police seized cannabis with a street value of more than £1.5m during raids across the county over the past month.
The operation saw 24 cannabis farms identified and resulted in 16 people being arrested – with five charged.
In the raids, 2,949 cannabis plants with a street value of £1.47m, were seized, together with nine kilograms of cannabis bush – that having a street value of £45,000.
In addition to the drugs, our officers seized £70,000 cash. Six people were detained for immigration offences.
Of the 24 cannabis farms raided, 13 were in Preston, eight in Blackburn and Accrington, and three in the Blackpool area.
The aim of the operation was to disrupt organised crime gangs who use large-scale cannabis cultivation to finance other offences.
All 43 police forces in England and Wales, as well as the National Crime Agency, co-ordinated raids, with £130m worth of cannabis seized in total.
Det Supt Graham Hill, Lancashire Police’s Head of Serious Organised Crime and Intelligence, said: “This continued Operation Warrior activity shows how committed we are to tackling serious and organised crime.
“Organised crime networks involved in cannabis production are directly linked to other serious criminal activity such as Class A drug dealing and importation, modern slavery, violence, and exploitation.
“The raids carried out in Lancashire have disrupted significant criminal activity.
“We are committed to taking the fight to criminals and tackling serious crime.” Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.