Drug gangs are exploiting the decline of the high street by taking over empty shop fronts to illegally grow cannabis, police forces have said.
According to the National Police Chiefs’ Council vacant pubs, office buildings, cafes and nightclubs in town centres are being targeted by the gangs for their operations.
More than 3,000 cannabis plants, with an estimated value of £2 million, were grown in a former department store in Newport, south Wales, before it was raided by Gwent Police.
Chief Constable Richard Lewis, the NPCC national lead on drugs, said commercial properties provided an attractive option for criminals, as there is ‘lack of activity’ on high streets at night.
As he warned that the crackdown is also coming for landlords, estate agents and tradespeople who ‘turn a blind eye.’
In February another huge raid on an abandoned toy shop (above) in, Ayr Scotland, unearthed a cannabis farm with an estimated value of £920,000
Police Scotland officers at the former Toy Town store on Newmarket Street
Officers raided the old Toy Town unit on Newmarket Street around 4pm where they discovered the illegal operation
CC Lewis told the BBC: ‘Large scale shops have closed down and therefore the footprint to produce cannabis on a larger scale becomes available,’ adding the lack of activity in town centres at night was also a factor.
‘Neighbours in residential properties would notice things more readily.’
In February another huge raid on an abandoned toy shop in, Ayr Scotland, unearthed a cannabis farm with an estimated value of £920,000.
Authorities have urged people to come forward if they see anything suspicious on their high street such as windows being taped-up, bright lights shining or people camping outside, as it gets too hot to stay in the building.
In Newport the council and the force have worked together to set up a database of buildings which might be vulnerable to use by gangs.
The police have also prosecuted landlords who ‘may be turning a blind eye’ as well estate agents, electricians and other tradespeople.
In June this year a dramatic raid was carried out on a derelict sweet shop in Droitwich, northern Worcestershire where police discovered 600 cannabis plants, worth an estimated half a million (above)
While in January within 24hours of each other cannabis growing operations were discovered at an old HSBC branch and in the former offices of the County Times newspaper in Welshpool, Powys
More than 3,000 cannabis plants, with an estimated value of £2 million, were grown in a former department store in Newport, south Wales, before it was raided by Gwent Police (file photo)
Lewis continued: ‘We’ve also prosecuted landlords of these places who at best may be turning a blind eye to what’s happening.
‘We’ve seen prosecutions of estate agents, electricians and people who have facilitated this trade.
‘Of course, most of our tradespeople in the UK do a great job but there are those small minority people who do undertake these types of activities – and we do prosecute them.’
In June this year a dramatic raid was carried out on a derelict sweet shop in Droitwich, northern Worcestershire where police discovered 600 cannabis plants, worth an estimated half a million.
While in January within 24hours of each other cannabis growing operations were discovered at an old HSBC branch and in the former offices of the County Times newspaper in Welshpool, Powys.
Large-scale industrial units are used for cannabis farms but also empty residential homes
Thousands of cannabis farms worth hundreds of millions of pounds across Britain have been seized, according to police
Around 11,000 officers were involved in the crackdown, during which £650,000 in cash was also seized
This comes after a massive crackdown across Britain last year when over 1,000 cannabis farms were raided, £130million worth of plants were seized, and around 1,000 suspects arrested.
During June, Operation Mille, the largest of its kind and one involving every police force in England, Wales and Scotland, saw 200,000 cannabis plants seized, along with 15 to 20 guns and more than 40 other offensive weapons.
Around 11,000 officers were involved in the crackdown, during which £650,000 in cash was also seized.
Large-scale industrial units are used for cannabis farms but also empty residential homes.
Police say the buildings can become dangerous as a result of fire risks, unlawful abstraction of electricity, fumes and water damage.
At the time Steve Jupp, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Serious and Organised Crime, said: ‘We know that organised networks involved in cannabis production are also directly linked to an array of other serious criminality such as Class A drug importation, modern slavery and wider violence and exploitation.
‘This operation not only successfully disrupted a significant amount of criminal activity, but the intelligence gathered will also help inform future law enforcement across the country.’
According to the ONS, since 1995 cannabis has consistently been the most used drug in England and Wales.