Over £100k worth of drugs seized in Sunderland and South Tyneside

More than £100,000 worth of illicit drugs were seized within two hours after officers swooped following separate public tip-offs.

The quick-fire strikes came on Monday evening (March 1) after police in South Tyneside and Sunderland were alerted to suspicious activity at two separate locations.

Shortly after 5.30pm, a member of the public alerted officers to a suspected drug deal that was happening in the Wellands Lane area of Whitburn.

When police arrived and searched three vehicles, they located a quantity of cannabis, along with digital scales and zip lock bags. A 19-year-old man was arrested at the scene and taken into custody.

Then at about 7.25pm, officers were made aware of a disturbance inside a house on Villette Road in Sunderland with shouting and screaming coming from within.

Officers arrived at the scene but all seemed quiet – which led cops to follow their nose and continue to carry out enquiries in the area.

That led them to an upstairs flat where they located a significant cannabis farm worth up to £100,000 with plants at various stages of growth.

The electricity at the address had also been by-passed – posing a significant fire risk to the occupants and all those living nearby.

Chief Inspector Paul Walters, of Northumbria Police, said:

“It was a very productive couple of hours for our officers who were able to swiftly respond to two reports of suspicious activity by the public.

“That information allowed us to deploy resources to the respective areas and we have now been able to take a significant quantity of drugs out of the hands of criminals and off our streets.

“Enquiries are ongoing into each incident but I would like to thank those who passed on the information. The public are very much our eyes and ears in the community – and by working together, we can ensure Sunderland and South Tyneside remain a safe place to live and work.

“With respect of the cannabis farm, this was an incredibly dangerous operation that could easily have resulted in a fire. Any blaze could have led to devastating consequences for anybody living in the area.

“Nobody wants to live next to a potential death trap, so it is imperative that communities continue to pass on any information they have or let us know if they see anything suspicious. It’s not an over-exaggeration to say that by picking up the phone, you could save lives.”

The 19-year-old arrested in South Tyneside has since been released under investigation. Enquiries are ongoing.

The cannabis farm in Sunderland will be dismantled by officers and the drugs seized. An investigation has been launched to identify those involved.

Anyone who sees anything suspicious in their neighbourhood is asked to report it to police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of our website or by calling 101. In an emergency, or if a crime is happening, always ring 999.