More than 50 arrests made in crackdown against gangs running cannabis farms worth £9 million

Operation mille is aimed at detecting and disrupting Albanian Organised Crime Groups. Credit: GMP

Police have made over 50 arrests in a crackdown against Albanian gangs running multimillion pound cannabis farms.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) say the growing of cannabis and serious crime is completely linked, with profits used to to fuel even more criminality and exploitation.

In a month-long national operation involving GMP and other agencies, 10,000 cannabis plants were seized worth an estimated £9million.

10,000 cannabis plants were seized worth an estimated £9million as part of operation Mille. Credit: GMP

The operation is aimed at detecting and disrupting Albanian Organised Crime Groups (OCG) linked to cannabis cultivation, money laundering, and immigration crime.

Officers have said that £24,000 cash was recovered and 53 arrests were made, mainly for cultivation of cannabis and abstracting electricity, but a series of other offences including money laundering, possession with intent to supply and possession of weapons.

All 43 police forces across England and Wales – working with Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCUs) and partner agencies – took part in Operation Mille.

The pursuit of OCGs was designed to apprehend key players, increase intelligence across the force, and safeguard those who are being exploited by the gangs who are forced to live and work on cannabis farms.

How do you know if a property was being used to cultivate drugs? 

Police say the following are key signs:

  • A powerful distinctive sweet sickly aroma

  • Frequent visitors throughout the day and night

  • Blacked out windows

  • Chinks of bright light throughout the night

  • Birds gathering on the roof, particularly in cold weather

  • Noise from fans

  • Large amounts of rubbish including compost bags

  • Electricity metre being tampered with

Individually, these activities appear to be common, however, together can indicate something more suspicious.

£24,000 cash was recovered and 53 arrests were made. Credit: GMP

Detective Inspector Paul Crompton from GMP Serious Organised Crime Group said: “Hardened criminal gangs, involved in some of the most serious and heinous crimes, use the production and sale of cannabis as a fundamental part of their criminal enterprises.

“I understand that people have varying views on cannabis, but I would urge people who view it as ‘just a bag of weed’ to think twice about the wider implications and the exploitation and violence that is undeniably linked to the cultivation of cannabis.

“Cannabis farms also place innocent members of the public at risk. The amount of energy required for a cannabis farm means the criminals bypass the electricity supply to avoid paying for it.

"This causes a significant fire hazard to those who are forced to live and work there, but also the unassuming, innocent members of the public in neighbouring properties.

“This was an intelligence gathering mission which successfully disrupted a significant number of criminal networks.

"These gangs can’t operate under the radar forever and this intensive crack down will continue.”

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