More than 450 people have been charged after police in the UK launched an unprecedented operation against cannabis plantations, British police announced on Friday.
More than 182.000 cannabis plants, with an estimated value of between £115 and £130 million (between €134 and €150 million), were seized in what is being billed as “the largest national operation of its kind by law enforcement in the UK”, police said.
Conducted in England and Wales, the operation led to 967 arrests for cannabis cultivation, money laundering and weapons offences. Of those arrested, 450 were subsequently charged, according to a statement from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), which led the operation.
A national crackdown on organised crime linked to the sale of cannabis resulted in more than 40 arrests and around £3.5 million worth of plants seized in Kent. Click the link for more information - https://t.co/KIhAjnLSFA pic.twitter.com/noGJPr12kv
— Kent Police (UK) (@kent_police) July 6, 2023
“We know that organised networks in cannabis production are also directly linked to a range of serious crime such as the importation of class A drugs and modern slavery,” said Steve Jupp, head of organised crime at the NPCC.
“Not only has this operation significantly disrupted criminal activity but the intelligence gathered will help future policing operations across the country,” he added.
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In London, the operation dismantled 65 “cannabis factories”, seized 7,250 plants, 60 kg of cannabis resin, crack cocaine and five firearms, a separate statement said.
48 people were arrested in the British capital, 27 of whom have been charged, according to Scotland Yard.
