Nottingham drug dealers using 'unsuspecting' grandparents' houses to store drugs, weapons and cash

Drug dealers have been caught using their grandparent's homes in Nottingham to deal and grow drugs as well as store weapons and cash Credit: Nottinghamshire Police

Police are warning that drug dealers are using their grandparents' homes to store drugs, weapons and cash, to avoid being arrested in Nottingham.

Police have been carrying out more warrants recently at grandparents’ homes in the Broxtowe, Aspley and Bilborough as increasing numbers of criminals are using these as bases.

They have found substantial amounts of heroin, crack cocaine, machetes, large quantities of cash, and even cannabis grows.

Nottinghamshire Police say some grandparents are unaware of the illegal activities and others were helping co-ordinate drug deals.

A grandmother in her 70s from the Aspley area has recently been charged with conspiracy to supply cannabis.

Gordon Fenwick, the Neighbourhood Inspector from Nottinghamshire Police, says grandparents and parents that they "will be in trouble" if they are knowingly facilitating a family member's drug dealing activities.

The Inspector said:

'Firstly, I think naively drug dealers don’t think they will get caught if there are no drugs in their own homes and it won’t raise suspicions about their criminal behaviour.'

The inspector added that drug dealers often don’t have fixed addresses and use these homes as their drug dealing bases.

Mr Fenwick added 'Some of these drug dealers are obviously exploiting their grandparents and we’ve had cases where grandparents were unaware their grandkids were storing Class A drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine at the address'.

He said there are cases where grandparents are aware of cannabis grows being set up in their home and they are "very much part of the operation".

He continued: 'However, we are aware of some incidents where we have evidence such as mobile phones being used by grandparents to organise drug deals.

'This also includes cannabis grows actually being set up in their homes.

“The homes have also been used to store machetes and knives, and we have also found tens of thousands of pounds of cash.

'We have been told on occasion ‘they didn’t want to get their grandson in trouble and just got sucked into it'.

'No-one wants to see a grandmother or grandfather exploited or facing such serious charges by getting involved in this type of activity'.

'We would urge them to consider the consequences before they do this'.

'By doing so you could be involving them in criminal activities, and they could find themselves before the courts if it is proved they are involved in the operation of selling or cultivating drugs'.

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