Police crack down on cannabis cultivation

MERSEYSIDE Police have started operation 'Nasty Side Effects', a campaign that is running alongside the regional operation targeting cannabis farming. Most people think cannabis is a harmless drug; the reality is very different. Growing cannabis is illegal, dangerous and can be a very profitable business for criminals. Cannabis farmers are often involved in violence, gun crime and money laundering, which can have devastating effects on innocent people.  Police over the last 3 years have been discovered more than 5,120 cannabis factories containing an excess of 345,000 plants with an estimated potential street value of around £140 million across the North West.

There has been an increase in the number of cannabis factories across the region with a steady rise in the number of smaller cannabis farms, often in rental properties, which are linked to organised crime groups.

Officers from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (Titan), alongside the 6 regional Police forces in Merseyside, GMP, Cheshire, Lancashire, North Wales and Cumbria; are now running the month long operation, to crack down on cannabis cultivation across the region.

During the month there will an increase in police activity, including a number of strike days, to raise awareness of the problem as well as to highlight the dangers of cannabis cultivation and urge members of the community who suspect cannabis is being grown in their neighbourhoods to call police.

Officers are also working with utility companies, garden centres, DIY stores, local authorities, fire services and the Royal Mail to help them to spot the signs that cannabis is being grown and the typical equipment being bought by criminals for cannabis cultivation.

Detective Superintendent John Lyons, from Titan, said:- "Cannabis is not the harmless drug it is often perceived to be and is the most used illegal drug in the UK. An increasing number of people who grow cannabis are directly funding dangerous, organised criminal gangs. These gangs are often responsible for gun crime, violence and intimidation across the North West. Titan and the region's forces take the cultivation and supply of cannabis extremely seriously. Drugs and their associated activity cause misery to our communities and we act on all information we receive to disrupt and ultimately prevent those involved in the drugs trade from operating on our streets. The public of the North West are our eyes and ears and we appeal to anyone with any information about cannabis cultivation in their area to make contact during this month of action and beyond. We will act on all information provided to us to ensure that those involved in the cultivation of cannabis are brought to justice."

Some of the signs that cannabis is being grown are:-

► Strange smells and sounds.

► Frequent and varied visitors to a property, often at unusual times.
 
► Gardening equipment being taken into a property, such as plant pots, fertiliser, fans and industrial lighting.

► Windows are sealed and covered or the curtains are permanently closed.

► Heat from an adjoining property.

► Individually these activities may seem commonplace, however, together may indicate something more sinister.

In Merseyside, there have been 1,214 people arrested on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis in hundreds of raids in the last 3 years and police are continuing to work hard to identify those responsible, destroy their crops and put them before the courts.

Superintendent Mark Harrison, who is leading Operation Broadley for Merseyside Police, said:- "We are seeing an increasing trend among organised crime groups in Merseyside to grow cannabis with firearms incidents and other serious criminality arising when factions steal each other's crops and associated money. "There is a strong and distinctive smell to cannabis and I would urge any members of the public to contact us if they suspect it may be growing somewhere so we can help rid our communitues of this danger. People who grow cannabis often have a total disregard for the safety of others, frequently endangering the lives of those in neighbouring properties by tampering with electricity supplies and leaving live electrical cables exposed, increasing the risk of fire. Hazardous waste is often left inside properties or in nearby public spaces and premises can be left structurally unsafe, which is a real concern in our streets. We urge anyone with any information about suspected cannabis farms in their area to call us so we can take action against the offenders."

Anyone with any information about cannabis cultivation is asked to call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on:- 0800 555 111.

In response to this action by the Police the North West, Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies issued a media statement that said that he welcomed the crackdown on cannabis factories, be went on to say that although targeted campaign against serious criminals has his full support, he believes "the law on drugs is an ass."

He also added that according to government figures, more than one third of the British population have used illegal drugs at some point in their lives.  The number of cannabis 'farms' detected across the UK has increased from 3,032 to 6,866 over the past 4 years. Often located in private houses, many are said to be run by criminal gangs.

Chris Davies says that the Police crackdown on criminals makes more sense than arresting drug users who may be causing no harm to anyone other than themselves.

But the Liberal Democrat MEP says the production and sale of drugs should be legalised, licensed, taxed and accompanied by health warnings. He said that:- "We celebrate the owners of breweries and distilleries as captains of industry, yet their products are every bit as harmful as cannabis. Drugs prohibition has failed across the world because it puts their production and supply into the hands of some evil people. The criminality associated with the drugs trade causes vastly more harm to society than their use. Drugs use should be matter for health professionals not law enforcement officers."

The press release also added that a new law in Switzerland allows any citizen to grow up to 4 cannabis plants for their personal use, an approach to destroying the criminal supply chain that Davies describes as making good sense.

Guidance from the Association of Chief Police Officers says that cannabis 'farms' are usually located in private dwellings. While some are of little commercial value the largest ever discovered, in Cambridgeshire in 2010, led to the seizure of 7,600 plants with a value of £2.5 million.  The number of plants is not relevant. A property will be treated as a 'farm' if it possesses either high intensity lighting, ventilation, a hydroponics system or is bypassing an electrical meter.  Commercial cannabis production has been associated with trafficking of adults and their children from China and Vietnam. 

ACPO says:- "It is believed that there are a small number of teams who specialise in specific aspects of the cultivation chain. Higher level criminals are coordinating these teams and are highly organised."

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