Shotgun, cash and more than £1million of cannabis seized in dawn raids in Luton, Bedford and Sharnbrook
A loaded shotgun, cash and more than £1million worth of cannabis plants have been seized after a series of dawn raids by police.
The raids uncovered six cannabis factories in Bedford, Luton and Sharnbrook – with police also finding a loaded shotgun and £5,400 in cash along with 1,712 cannabis plans and 8kg of processed cannabis ready for teh streets.
Specialist officers carried out a valuation of just one harvest, estimating the illegal grows to be worth more than £1.1 million.
The raids were part of a crackdown in February as part of Operation Mile against cannabis cultivation and money laundering.
The early morning raids followed tip-offs from the community, with one property being identified after engineers visited to carry out routine work and noted a strong smell of cannabis.
Five people in total were arrested as part of the operation.
And on Thursday, February 20, police visited a property in Hartley Road in Luton after being told about suspicious behaviour – including windows and blinds shut at all times of the day and a sheet covering the glass plain of the door.
Police searched the property and found a man who was later safeguarded as a suspected victim of human trafficking.
They also discovered the crooks had drilled a hole into the next door building – which also had its windows covered. When they forced their way in, police found a large cannabis factory of 215 plants.
Detective Sergeant Gary Hatton, who led the coordinated operation said: “These latest successes are a result of intricate and painstaking work by numerous teams across the force, and I would like to thank them for their efforts which have paid off immensely.
“By targeting cannabis cultivation, we’re cutting the issue off at the source. Without activity like this, these plants would be harvested, processed and disseminated in our community fuelling criminality, anti-social behaviour and the appalling violence we see when drug gangs feud over territory.
“In addition to the work of our officers, it’s the information received from members of the public that informs our activity. I would like to encourage the community to continue to tell us what you know and raise the alarm when things don’t seem right. With your support we’re ridding our community of illegal drugs and apprehending those fuelling it.”
Anyone with concerns about drug dealing and anti-social behaviour in their community can report it to the police online or contact Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111.