Police dismantle drugs factories valued at £1/4m

A grow in Westfield Road, Bramley, containing more than 400 plants was one of three locations raided by officers in the borough on Tuesday (July 23).

A cultivation containing 40 plants was discovered in a house on Ellis Street, Brinsworth, and was dismantled.

A grow at an address in St Johns Road, East Dene containing 120 cannabis plants was also cleared and a 24-year-old man was arrested.

He has since been charged with the production of a Class B drug.

The three addresses were searched following Home Office warrants which were executed by the Home Office’s Immigration Teams in conjunction with Local Neighbourhood Policing Teams.

Rotherham Central NPT Insp John Crapper said: “These houses may have looked like ordinary homes from the outside but hidden inside were sophisticated cannabis grows.

“These large grows are often linked to the exploitation of vulnerable people and organised crime and we will continue to root out these factories as part of our continued efforts to eliminate the supply of drugs in Rotherham.

“These grows also highlighted the immediate danger cannabis cultivations can have on members of the public.

“Electricity being bypassed in properties where cannabis is being grown on a large scale is something we are seeing more of.

“This poses a fire risk to neighbours and has the potential to cause street-wide power cuts. “We report these homes to the electricity board once the warrants have been executed so they can make them safe.”

Some of the signs a property is being used for growing cannabis include blacked-out windows or excessive condensation, a blocked letterbox, the heavy use of anti-odour devices and visitors calling at unusual hours or only staying for a short period of time.

Added Insp Crapper: “Anyone concerned about the production of supply of drugs in their area, please contact us on 101 or submit information to us online via our reporting portal: www.southyorkshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/.

“If you want to submit information anonymously, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”