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Police have seized £850,000 of cannabis from illegal factories across Britain in a series of weekend raids.
Officers found 700 plants worth £550,000 worth at a home in Cumbria and another 150 plants worth £300,000 in Northern Ireland, leading to two arrests.
The raids, which took place over the weekend, come amid a crackdown ‘commerical industrial-level cultivation’.
Targeting homes in Workington and Seascale, Det Supt Hussey of Cumbria Police warned that drug dealers were using ‘more inventive ways’ to hide illegal farms.
He said: ‘These are illegal operations and, as such, are not subject to the usual rules that legitimate businesses follow to protect property and people.’
Meanwhile in Hillsborough, County Down, two men, aged 22 and 32, were arrested after the discovery of 150 plants given a street value of £300,000.
Police have seized £850,000 of cannabis from illegal factories in weekend raids across Britain
Police in Cumbria confiscated nearly 700 cannabis plants, worth £550,000, as part of a crackdown on ‘commerical industrial-level cultivation’
‘Criminals are using more inventive ways to conceal cannabis grows – not just in rooms, but in the back of shops,’ Det Supt Hussey said
The drugs, discovered during the raid at 10.30pm yesterday along with harvested cannabis and other confiscated items, have been removed for further examination.
Damage has also been caused to the property, police confirmed.
A Police Service Northern Ireland spokesperson said: ‘Two men, aged 22 and 32, were arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including possession of a class B controlled drug, possession of a class B controlled drug with intent to supply and cultivating cannabis and are being interviewed by detectives.
‘Our enquiries are continuing but this operation demonstrates that we continue to be committed to removing drugs from the local community and dealing with organised crime gangs involved in the production and supply of controlled drugs.
‘Damage has been caused to the property involved and I would urge landlords and letting agents to ensure they obtain appropriate identification when renting out properties and conduct regular checks and report to police anything that causes them concern.’
Police seized a huge £300,000 cannabis stash during a house raid in Northern Ireland
Around 150 cannabis plants along with harvested cannabisand other items were confiscated by police
The seizures come amid a wider crackdown on cannabis farms nationwide.
On Friday, Hampshire Police said they had seized 1,400 cannabis plants as well as cash, phones, weapons, growing and lighting equipment and made eleven arrests as part of Operation Mille, a nationwide crackdown on major cannabis grows.
Police said 48,328 cannabis plants, worth over £48million, have now been seized across the country as part of the years long operation.
Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) Adam Ball, who led the operation, said: ‘Cannabis may seem harmless but its production and subsequent selling has long fuelled other serious acts of criminality, which in turn blight our communities.
‘It’s links to the importation of class A drugs, county lines and gang violence is prevalent, as well as the alarming levels of exploitation people fall victim to.’
