Ten people have been arrested following a series of dawn raids conducted by police in Tameside this morning (June 19).
Officers executed six simultaneous warrants at properties on Whitacre Road and Mossley Road in Ashton-under-Lyne in the early hours as part of an operation supported by Home Office Immigration Enforcement.
Ten men - aged between 22 and 44 - were arrested as part of the raids. They all remain in police custody where they await questioning.
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Amongst them, three men were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply, money laundering, and immigration offences. Another three were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the production of cannabis.
One man was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the production of cannabis and possession of class A and B drugs, whilst one was arrested on suspicion of production of cannabis, abstracting electricity, and immigration offences. Two men were also arrested on suspicion of immigration offences.
Inside the properties, officers found more than 400 plants believed to be cannabis and linked to a large-scale operation.
Chief Inspector Claire Galt, of GMP's Tameside district, said: “We understand the public have varying views on cannabis, but its cultivation, sale and distribution brings devastation to our communities in the form of violence and exploitation.
“The amount of energy required for a cannabis farm of this size 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 innocent members of the public in neighbouring properties are also put at risk because of these brazen and careless criminals.
“Every cannabis farm we destroy helps break the vicious cycle. The plants won’t end up on the street, the profits won’t go to fund other crime, and vulnerable people who are being taken advantage of by these gangs can be safeguarded.”
Tony Hilton, Assistant Director for the Home Office Criminal and Financial Investigation unit, added: “This is an excellent result and I commend the hard work of all officers involved.
“We are committed to working closely with our policing partners to disrupt criminal networks and bring to justice those who are exploiting and abusing our laws and borders.”
Information from the public plays an incredibly important role in these warrants time and time again – please let us know if you have any concerns about drug activity in your local area. We won’t tolerate people exploiting vulnerable people. We will act on this information.”
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