More than £7m of plants seized in Leicestershire cannabis crackdown

An operation to tackle the illegal production of cannabis across Leicestershire has resulted in plants with a street value of more than £7m being seized.

It is part of Operation Mille – a national campaign to locate cannabis grows and arrest those behind them.

Throughout June, 47 searches took place across the county, including West Leicester, the city centre, Leicester Forest East, Birstall and Syston.

In total, more than 9,200 plants – with an estimated yield of over half a tonne – were seized.

The largest grow, which consisted of 1,248, was located in East Leicester.

Last month, forty people were arrested on suspicion of in connection with the cultivation of cannabis.

Twenty-nine people have subsequently been charged.

Detective Chief Inspector Rob Arthur, the senior investigating officer, said: “The production of cannabis – which is a category B and illegal drug – is an issue across the country.

"Here in Leicestershire, we joined colleagues and partners from across the UK by taking part in Operation Mille in order to identify and disrupt those responsible.

“Those behind the grows often have little regard for the safety and welfare of others.”

“It’s important to remember that the illegal production of cannabis – which often involves vast amounts of electrical equipment like lighting and heating – poses a serious risk to the public.

"Criminals don’t want to be detected and so more often than not, this equipment is connected in a way that poses a serious fire hazard."