Regional crime unit seize over £5.3 million of cannabis as part of unprecedented national campaign

A total of 127 people were arrested for offences linked to the drugs trade as part of the operation targeted at Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) operating throughout Yorkshire and Humberside.

Throughout June, YH ROCU, together with Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire police located and searched 138 cannabis grows aimed at unearthing and disrupting the groups.

The intensification period was designed to disrupt OCGs by taking out a key source of their revenue, whilst apprehending many of those involved, safeguarding those being exploited, and increasing intelligence around how the networks operate.

Overall, over 19,500 cannabis plants and a further 26 kilos of cropped cannabis were seized, as well as cash, weapons and other drugs as part of Operation Mille, a nationally-coordinated campaign.

Detective Superintendent Fiona Gaffney, who led the regional response and is deputy head of the YH ROCU, said: “We targeted these criminal networks who were involved in drug dealing as part of a coordinated approach to disrupt their activities and bring them to justice.

“Working with police in all four Yorkshire and Humber forces, we were able to tackle the large-scale cultivation of cannabis which is a key source of illicit income for organised gangs.

“There’s a clear link between serious crime and those involved in cannabis cultivation. The drugs trade fuels gang violence as groups compete for territory. They hunt out the opposition and cause misery in our communities.”