Police seize 2000 cannabis plants in Sunderland

Jun 20 2009 by Sophie Doughty, The Journal

POLICE have put one of the North East’s biggest ever cannabis farms out of business, it was revealed yesterday.

With more than 2,000 plants crammed into every inch of a disused warehouse, the large-scale illegal drugs cultivation could have made growers more than £1m on the region’s streets.

But thanks to the vigilance of members of the public, police have stopped the farmers before they were able to harvest their crop.

And after raiding the old boat workshop in Sunderland yesterday officers found a highly sophisticated cannabis factory.

Acting Sunderland Neighbourhood Inspector Paul Dixon said: “This was a very sophisticated cannabis farm and they had invested a substantial amount of time and money in it. It’s certainly the biggest one we have seen here.”

Police received information about strange comings and goings at the former Speedings warehouse, on Wickham Street, in Roker, about a month ago.

And after spending weeks gathering intelligence they raided the property at around 9.30am yesterday.

Inside they found 2,040 plants, at various stages of maturity, along with lighting equipment.

A boy who claimed to be 15, believed to be of Vietnamese origin, was arrested and charged with cultivating cannabis.

He was remanded in custody by Sunderland magistrates.

But police do not believe it was possible for one person to run a cannabis operation of this scale alone.

And the hunt is now on to find the drug farmer’s accomplices.

“This was a substantial cannabis farm requiring specialist lighting and equipment and somebody would probably have to be there 24-hours a day,” Insp Dixon said. “It would take more than one person to run an operation of this size and enquiries are ongoing about who else is involved.”

The cannabis factory was set up in a rented building whose owners had no idea what their tenants were up to.

But people living nearby quickly became suspicious about the odd activities inside.

Insp Dixon said the local community had played a vital role in aiding police to smash this link in the drugs supply chain and making sure these illegal drugs did not end up on the streets of the North East.

“Northumbria Police actively target the production of drugs and we will take direct action in response to any intelligence received from within our communities,” he said.

“Drugs make a significant contribution to the levels of acquisitive crime, such as burglaries and thefts, within Sunderland. By dismantling farms such as this one we can have a major impact on these types of crime to ensure that the city remains a safe place for people to live, work and visit.

"Residents in all areas of the city can assist us in this by keeping an eye out for some of the tell tale signs that a property is being used as a cannabis farm.

"These include people arriving at unusual hours, a pungent aroma in the area, blacked-out windows or bright lights coming from a number of windows throughout the night.

Anyone who suspects that a property is being used to grow drugs should contact Northumbria Police on 03456 043 043.