16,000 cannabis plants seized in the North East
Throughout June, police across England and Wales identified and searched 1,000 cannabis grows in the largest national operation of its kind, aimed at unearthing and disrupting serious and organised crime and those exploiting illegal revenue streams.
In the North East, thanks to the co-ordinated efforts by the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU), Cleveland Police, Northumbria Police, Durham Constabulary and partner agencies, the activity saw a total of 87 warrants executed and the seizure of over 16,000 cannabis plants.
The operation, known nationally as Operation Mille, also saw 70 arrests and numerous seizures of large amounts of cash and weapons across the region.
Nationally, nearly 200,000 cannabis plants with an estimated street value of between £115-£130 million were seized, along with £636,000 in cash and 26 kilogrammes of cocaine. Of those arrested, more than 450 were later charged.
During the operation, criminal networks involved in drug dealing, immigration crime and money laundering were targeted by police and partner agencies, who focused resources to tackling large-scale cannabis cultivations – a key source of illicit income for organised criminals.
Officers across the North East also worked with partners to help raise awareness in communities about the risks associated with cannabis farms, from exploitation and anti-social behaviour, to fire hazards.
The intensification period was designed to disrupt criminal organisations by disrupting a key source of their income, while simultaneously targeting those involved, safeguarding vulnerable people being exploited, and helping to build a wider intelligence picture around how the networks operate.
Detective Chief Superintendent Phil Shutt, Head of NEROCU, has praised the co-ordinated activity and reminds the public why work like this will continue.
He said: “We know people often consider cannabis-related crime to be ‘low level’, however it is evident that there are very often links between organised crime and those involved in cannabis cultivation.
“These types of illegal operations help fuel violence in communities and fund wider serious crime such as human trafficking, child exploitation, firearm importation and distribution and modern day slavery.”
DCS Shutt added: “This national operation has been a huge success. Not only has it disrupted and dismantled a significant amount of organised criminal activity, but the intelligence gathered will also help inform future investigations across the country.
“Activity like this is always ongoing, and police forces and partners in our region remain dedicated to tackling all forms of serious and organised crime in order to safeguard the vulnerable, protect victims and communities and bring justice to those exploiting others and committing crime.”
Cannabis cultivation also presents a very real and dangerous local threat. The size of these farms can often result in damage to the properties themselves; the buildings can become dangerous as a result of fire risks, unlawful abstraction of electricity, fumes and water damage.
Anyone with information about a potential cannabis factory or drug dealing can contact their local police force online or via 101.
People can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or crimestoppers-uk.org
For wider information:
Here’s some signs to help spot a property being used as a cannabis factory:
• Frequent visitors to a property at unsocial hours throughout the day and night.
• Blacked out windows or condensation on the windows, even when it is not cold outside.
• Bright lights in rooms throughout the night.
• Electricity meters being tampered with/altered and new cabling, sometimes leading to street lighting. High electricity bills could also be an indicator.
• A powerful, distinctive, sweet, sickly aroma and noise from fans.
• Lots of work or deliveries of equipment to an address, particularly those associated with growing plants indoors without soil such as heaters and lighting.
• An excessive amount of plant pots, chemicals, fertilisers, and compost