A large-scale cannabis production operation estimated to be worth over £2.5 million has been found at a warehouse in Pontefract, thanks to information from the community.
A warrant was executed yesterday morning (Tuesday, 25 April) by the Neighbourhood Impact Team at a premise on Walkergate, Pontefract.
Inside the property, officers found nearly 1,000 live plants and multiple drying rooms containing more than 200kg of cropped cannabis. The initial estimate is that the warehouse building contained £2,628,771 worth of drugs.
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. They are currently in custody.
Temporary Superintendent Phil Jackson, of Wakefield District, said: “This is the largest single seizure of drugs by the Wakefield District Neighbourhood Impact Team since their introduction in October 2021.
“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. Ultimately, the drugs that we have seized today will now not make it on to the streets of Pontefract or elsewhere.”
The Wakefield District Neighbourhood Impact Team was introduced as part of Project ADDER (Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement and Recovery). Wakefield was announced as a Project ADDER accelerator site in July 2021 with the district being allocated additional Home Office funding for an intensive whole-system approach led by local police and drug treatment and recovery services to tackling drug misuse and drug-related crime.
Anyone with information about drug offences or concerns about suspicious activity at a premises in their community can report it to the police by using 101 Live Chat online or by calling 101. There is also a specific online reporting form for reporting drug use or drug dealing which is available at: Report drug use / drug dealing | West Yorkshire Police.
