Police operation leads to 52 arrests and £8.7 million of cannabis seized across south Wales

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Police say they have seized an 'unprecedented' £8.7 million of cannabis and arrested 52 people in a huge operation against organised crime.

Last month police forces in Wales joined together to disrupt Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) by taking out a key source of their revenue - cannabis factories.

Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) coordinated the activity with South Wales, Gwent and Dyfed Powys Police, and resulted in:

  • 73 warrants executed

  • 52 arrested for offences including Production of Cannabis, Producing a Class B Drug, and Cultivation of Cannabis

  • 43 individuals charged

  • 16,273 cannabis plants seized with an estimated street value of more than £8.7 million

  • Mobile phones, cash and forged documentation also seized

Police are stressing that cannabis factories present a "very real local threat". Credit: Operation Tarian

Wendy Gunney, the Assistant Chief Constable for Tarian ROCU, said the links between serious crime and those involved in cannabis cultivation are clear, with the drugs trade fuelling gang violence as groups compete for territory and look to hunt out their opposition.

“The Regional Organised Crime Unit for southern Wales has worked closely with the national policing network to successfully target and disrupt organised cannabis production in our region" she said.

“This type of criminality has an extremely detrimental impact on our communities and it is vital that we continue to collaborate with law enforcement partners and external agencies to disrupt offenders."

The size of criminal cannabis ‘factories’ means that damage is often caused to the properties themselves.

Police are stressing that cannabis factories present a "very real local threat".

The size of criminal cannabis ‘factories’ means that damage is often caused to the properties themselves - meaning the buildings can become dangerous as a result of fire risks, unlawful abstraction of electricity, fumes and water damage.

What are the signs someone could be operating a cannabis factory?

  • Frequent visitors to a property at unsocial hours throughout the day and night

  • Blacked out windows or condensation on the windows, even when it is not cold outside

  • Bright lights in rooms throughout the night

  • Electricity meters being tampered with/altered and new cabling, sometimes leading to street lighting. High electricity bills could also be an indicato

  • A powerful, distinctive, sweet, sickly aroma and noise from fans

  • Lots of work or deliveries of equipment to an address, particularly those associated with growing plants indoors without soil such as heaters and lighting

  • An excessive amount of plant pots, chemicals, fertilisers, and compost

Anyone with information about a potential cannabis factory or drug dealing is advised to call police on 101.

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