HELP and tip-offs from members of the public can make a 'big difference' as Cumbria Police press on with their crackdown on the scourge of cannabis farms in Carlisle.
In 2023, Cumbria Police uncovered a series of cannabis farms within Carlisle and across the Cumberland area.
Frequently based inside old or abandoned buildings - but also in residential homes on terraced streets - the farms sometimes contain grows valued in the millions of pounds.
Often, they are staffed by one or two 'farmers', in many cases individuals who have been smuggled into the country from overseas and are controlled by criminal organisations.
A grow worth around £500,000 was discovered on West Tower Street in January. A spokesperson from Cumbria Constabulary said at the time: "This kind of criminality is closely linked to organised crime, people trafficking and modern day slavery."
This was the case when police raided a terraced house in Crummock Street on Friday, February 17. A Vietnamese man was found inside tending to a 'crop' of cannabis plants worth around £250,000. When the case was brought to court, the 32-year-old said he was working to pay off a £40,000 debt he owed to the people smugglers who brought him into the country illegally.
Another high value farm, situated on Carlisle's Lancaster Street and raided in May, was worth £4.5million. As police burst into the premises, the growers dramatically attempted to flee. Two men sustained leg injuries while jumping off a roof.
The public play a significant role in helping alert authorities to these secret grows, police say, but sites are also sometimes discovered by alert officers.
A house on Waldergrave Road in Longsowerby was raided by police on December 14. The premises had drawn the attention of an eagle-eyed police officer, who noticed that the house was the only one in the street with a roof too warm for snow to settle on - an indicator of the presence of the heated farm inside.
Garden city: Some of the locations of high profile cannabis farms discovered in Carlisle and environs
Cumbria Police's work in this area falls under the banner of Operation Alliance, which targets serious and organised crime and aims to seize drugs and illegally-held cash.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Myers has been a detective since 2004 and discussed how cannabis growers in Cumbria operate - whilst also reaffirming the force's commitment to cracking down on the issue.
He said: "This is not just a Carlisle issue, this is a national issue.
"Certainly we do have it in rural locations but it is more concentrated in more urban areas because, due to the recession and such, there is a lot of old empty buildings.
"I can remember dealing with a grow in an old premises years and years ago which was an old disused building, so it has always gone on. People have taken opportunities in those buildings where they are not going to attract as much attention.
"These are organised crime groups, take nothing away from it. They are in it purely to make money and anything we can do to disrupt that we will do because that is what we are here for."
Whilst Cumbria Police continue their work to eliminate serious and organised crime in the county, DCI Myers explained how the public can play a vital role in the detection and dismantling of cannabis farms.
He said: "It's about getting that information and if people aren't comfortable speaking directly to the police, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously.
"It makes a big difference and if we are given that intelligence, we can develop that intelligence, we can look at the opportunities.
"I would like to think we are getting better at identifying where these locations are with the help of the community."
There are concrete examples of this.
One high-value farm, found in an empty unit at West Walls in October 2021, was worth around £1.6million. Nine rooms in the former Club XS had been secretly converted into sophisticated growing rooms, complete with lighting, irrigation and feeding systems and a temperature control kit, all of it powered by stolen electricity. This grow was discovered after passers-by reported the tell-tale stench of cannabis.
In addition to this appeal for the public to continue assisting the police in their cannabis crackdown, DCI Myers provided a list of signs that could point toward illegal activities.
Signs to watch out for include:
- Strong, sickly smells coming from properties
- Properties where the windows are constantly covered
- Excessive security around properties, such as CCTV
- High levels of unusual condensation on windows
- Lots of visitors – and at unsociable hours
- Bright lights day and night
- Constant buzz of ventilation
Anyone with information should contact police on 101 – or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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