[A]n intelligence-led investigation by Northumbria Police has exposed a cannabis farm containing nearly 3,000 plants – with a street value thought to be more than £750,000.
Neighbourhood officers found the cannabis farm in an industrial unit on Chainbridge Road in Blaydon after intelligence suggested it could be being used for drug cultivation.
Three men have been arrested following the find and currently remain in police custody as the farm is dismantled.
It means that Northumbria Police have taken more than a £1.2 million of cannabis off the streets in just one month after a farm of a similar size was found in North Shields on June 21.
Chief Inspector Paul Knox, from Central Area Command, said: “This was a significant find and is the work of organised criminals who would have had to spend tens of thousands of pounds to set it up.
“The street value of these drugs is probably in excess of £750,000 which means officers from Northumbria Police have taken well over a million pounds worth of cannabis off the street.
“We also had a seizure of Class A drugs in Newcastle last week which was estimated to be worth around £450,000.
“Taking these drugs off our streets is vital to reducing crime in our local communities as the vulnerable people purchasing the drugs are responsible for petty crime that funds their addiction.
“There is no place for criminal groups in the Northumbria Police area and these recent seizures send a strong message to those individuals – you will not get away with it on our turf.”
Enquiries into the cannabis farm uncovered today are ongoing but police are asking members of the local community to inform them if people do have suspicions of activity in their area.
Common indicators of a cannabis farm include blacked out windows, unusual comings and goings at all times, noticeable high heat, bright lights and obviously a strong smell.
If you suspect that cannabis is being grown where you live, please contact your local neighbourhood policing team on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
