Ten people charged and more than 1,500 cannabis plants seized in organised crime bust

We have secured charges against 10 people and closed down 10 cannabis factories in a major bust on organised crime across Staffordshire.

Officers have been supporting national efforts to target cannabis farms controlled or operated by organised crime groups across the UK.

From 17 February, a week-long intensification effort took place up and down the country, resulting in the arrest of 242 suspects and £48-million-worth of cannabis being seized from grows.

In Staffordshire, we worked proactively to target 16 addresses after gathering intelligence around suspected drug cultivation, 10 of which ended up being operational cannabis factories. We seized more than 1,500 plants across the sites collectively and made 11 arrests, 10 of which resulting in charges.

Detective Chief Inspector Al Lyford, who worked on the operation, said: “We want to continue making Staffordshire a hostile place for organised crime groups to offend, and this enforcement is an example of that.

“It’s not just the cannabis grows we’re worried about. It’s the criminal exploitation that these gangs often use to force vulnerable people into running the grows for them. They use serious violence and threats as a way of coercing people into criminal networks, exploiting people in local communities for their own criminal profit.

“We’re working hard every day to gather intelligence on the main players in these groups and to take robust action, but we also need your help.

“It’s absolutely vital that local people continue to tell us about their concerns and to be aware of the signs of cannabis cultivation and if someone might be getting exploited by gangs.”

Visit our website here to find out the signs that gangs might be growing cannabis in your neighbourhood.

To report a crime, call us on 101 or use Live Chat on our website. If you’re worried about staying anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Tell them what you know, not who you are.