Cannabis worth £2.6m seized in Pontefract in force's biggest haul on record

Dawn raids have uncovered a £2.6m cannabis farm in the "largest single seizure of drugs" on record for a West Yorkshire Police unit.

Officers found nearly 1,000 live plants and drying rooms containing more than 200kg of cropped cannabis at a warehouse in Pontefract on Tuesday, 25 April.

Temporary Supt Phil Jackson said: "This is the largest single seizure of drugs by the Wakefield District Neighbourhood Impact Team since their introduction in October 2021."

The initial estimate is that the drugs inside the building on Wakergate are worth £2,628,771.

West Yorkshire Police has thanked the local community for coming forward with information which led to the warrant.

Supt Jackson said: “We know issues around drug production, supply and use has been a long-term concern in the district.

"I hope this action shows that we will act on community intelligence and respond quickly to protect our communities from the harm that illegal drugs cause."

He added: "Ultimately, the drugs that we have seized today will now not make it on to the streets of Pontefract or elsewhere."

Two men, aged 23 and 25, have been arrested on suspicion of production of a Class B drug, abstracting electricity and entering the UK without leave.

The pair are currently in custody.

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