Police find underground drugs network in Gateshead
Northumbria Police discovered hidden tunnels and rooms last month
Police have discovered an underground drugs network after being alerted to suspicious activity at a property in Gateshead.
Officers attended an address in the Highcliffe Gardens area, where they discovered a secret trap door in the floor.
It led to a series of drugs tunnels and rooms containing almost 200 mature cannabis plants, equipment, and a significant electrical bypass.
Specially trained officers were called in to dismantle the cannabis farm and make the electricals safe before a total of ÂŁ215,000 class B drugs were removed from the property.
Since the discovery on Thursday, June 27, investigations have been ongoing to find those responsible – and Gateshead Neighbourhood Inspector Craig Brown has urged members of the community to keep sharing information with police to assist enquiries.
He said:
“This was a particularly concerning case as, coupled with the obvious fire hazard posed by the tampered electricals, it could have affected the structural integrity of the property.
“As well as funding more serious and organised crime, the illicit and unregulated production of cannabis in confined spaces, such as this one, presents a worrying safety risk to both the people involved and the community.
“Thankfully, members of the community were quick to alert us to the suspicious activity in the area, which enabled us to respond immediately and put it to a stop.
“Our investigations are ongoing to locate those responsible – and we’d encourage anyone with information that they think could assist our enquiries to come forward.
“We would also urge people to continue reporting anything out of the ordinary in their community, so we can take appropriate action to help keep everyone safe.”
Any reports of suspicious activity can be made via the online chat function on Northumbria Police’s website, or direct message on their social media.
If you have information in relation to the underground cannabis farm, quote reference NP-20240627-0012 when making a report.