Cops shut down cannabis farm
Police officers say they have shut down a cannabis farm and seized illegal drugs worth £50,000 in Sunderland as efforts to tackle organised crime across Wearside continue.
Teams working as part of Operation Sentinel executed a string of warrants at addresses across Sunderland last week, where they uncovered the large-scale farm, as well as seizing £17,000 in suspected criminal cash, four cars and a BB gun.
The day of action saw specialist officers target four separate addresses in Roedean Road, Red House, Sunderland, as well as two in Houghton Road, Hetton, as part of an ongoing investigation into the supply of drugs.
When the farm was identified in Hetton – all plants were seized, and the site swiftly dismantled. The electricity had also been bypassed but the site has since been made safe.
Three men, aged 32, 52 and 63, were arrested along with a 58-year-old woman. They have since been released on bail.
Leading the activity, Detective Inspector Jonathan Wade from Northumbria Police praised the work of officers.
“As a Force, we are committed to tackling serious crime through a range of activity, including targeted days of action like this,” he said.
“By continuing to seize and destroy harmful drugs, we are taking away the money organised criminals rely on to fund their illegal activity, and this is one of our most efficient tools.
“People may think cannabis is a harmless substance, but it is an illegal drug being sold by criminals who think nothing of exploiting and abusing the vulnerable, using violence to get what they want, and flouting the law – and the ripple effects of this activity can cause real harm in our communities.
“This day of action saw four people arrested, suspected criminal cash and drugs seized, and our investigation remains ongoing.
"I hope the community sees our continued activity to prevent drug dealing and the wider harm it causes – and that they keep working with us by sharing information and reporting suspicious activity to us, so we can act on it.”
He urged people to report suspicious activity via the ‘Tell us Something’ page on the Northumbria Police website.