£3m of cannabis seized in July in Warwickshire as drugs clampdown continues

A major operation to tackle criminal gangs cultivating cannabis has led to the seizure of £3m worth of cannabis in Warwickshire in July.

Operation Mille is a nationwide operation which sees police forces across the country work together to tackle the trade in cannabis, cocaine and the associated violent crime and exploitation.

In Warwickshire, in July alone, there have been nine arrests, 11 raids and cannabis plants with a total street value of more than £3m have been seized.

This is part of Operation Mille, a nationwide operation that sees police forces across the country working together to tackle the trade in cannabis and cocaine and the associate violent crime and exploitation.

During one of the raids in July, detectives seized an estimated 3,577 cannabis plants with a street value between £1m and £2m worth of cannabis in a warehouse in Harbury.

In another raid that month, officers seized cannabis plants with an estimated street value of £366,282 from a former Asian-style buffet restaurant in Nuneaton.

As a result of those two raids, two men were also arrested and jailed.

The communities of Warwickshire have been vital in helping officers tackle the production of cannabis by reporting their concerns.

The force is also tackling ‘professional enablers’. These enablers can perform many roles including estate agents, letting agents, legal professionals, and accountants. They offer services that facilitate serious and organised crime to be committed, hidden from view and legitimised. Enablers enable gangs to do things such as grow cannabis, traffic vulnerable people or launder illegally earned money. Enablers may be acting deliberately or negligently through failure to meet their professional and regulatory obligations. Some people acting as enablers can be unaware of the service they are offering.

Detective Inspector Peake of the Warwickshire Police Force Intelligence Team said: “For over a year now our teams have worked extremely hard to disrupt the activity of these criminal gangs and bring offenders to justice. We’re also hitting criminal gangs where it hurts the most, in their pockets. The results of this work speak for themselves.

“The message is starting to get out that Warwickshire is not a good place to come to if you want produce cannabis, distribute drugs and exploit vulnerable people. This is helping to make our communities safer.

“We will continue to work with our communities to tackle the problem. Local people are our eyes and ears in our communities and the information you provide is vital. Please continue to be vigilant and report any concerns to us.”

To report concerns around the production of cannabis or exploitation of vulnerable people go to Tell us something you've seen or heard | Warwickshire Police or call 101. Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Do you know the signs of a cannabis grow?

·       Covered up windows – Curtains always drawn up or windows covered/boarded up from the inside.

·       Excessive security measures – Excessive security measures such as extra locks or grilles on windows.

·       Lots of condensation – Cannabis plants need a greenhouse like environment to grow. Look out for condensation on the windows, especially in the summer months.

·       Lots of visitors – Frequent visitors at unsociable hours.

·       Resident only visiting address twice weekly – Some cannabis growers are extremely organised and only tend to the plants a couple of times a week.

·       Plant growing equipment – Look out for potential growers taking lots of plant growing equipment in and out of properties, such as soil/fertiliser and plant waste.

·       Lot of cables and wiring – Cannabis farm set ups require lots of cables and wirings for all the equipment. If wires are still hanging from ceilings/walls after a week, this may be a sign of a grow.

·       Excessive electricity bills (For Landlords) – Have the electricity bills suddenly spiked or dropped? It may be likely that the tenants are fiddling with the meter.

·       Snow or frost – Cannabis farms produce a lot of heat. Be wary of a property without a snow-covered roof.

·       Bright lights day and night – Cannabis plants need light to grow, look out for properties with bright lighting.

·       Buzz of ventilation – The constant noise of a fan could be for ventilation for cannabis grows.

·       Vulnerable adults – Sometimes foreign nationals are forced to tend to cannabis farms and are victims of human trafficking/modern slavery.