Nottinghamshire Police discover cannabis farm worth over £500,000 while carrying out a house raid in Upton near Newark

Police have broken up a large cannabis farm worth over £500,000 during a house raid

Officers from Nottinghamshire Police attended the property in Upton, near Newark, after receiving reports of drug activity in the area.

During the raid, a haul of around 530 cannabis plants was discovered following a sweep of the property just before 9am on Wednesday morning (28 December).

The drugs — valued at around £525,000 — were found growing in seven rooms throughout the house, with electricity dangerously bypassed to power the grow, posing a fire risk to both the property and the surrounding homes.

All plants were seized and will now be destroyed following the warrant, which was led by the Newark and Sherwood Operation Reacher team.

Officers from the Drug Support team and Rushcliffe Operation Reacher team also assisted in dismantle the plants and making the property safe.

PC Al Johnson, of Nottinghamshire Police’s Newark and Sherwood Operation Reacher team, said: “Planned warrants like the one executed here play a key role in helping us rid our streets of cannabis farms operating behind closed doors.

“Unfortunately, there is a common misconception that cannabis cultivation is a victimless crime that doesn’t harm anyone, but this just isn’t true.

“Organised crime groups are often behind established grows, which bring with them links to violent crime and wider criminality that we just don’t want anywhere near our areas.

“These groups trade in human misery and often exploit vulnerable people to do the dangerous roles they don’t want to do as part of these operations.

“Added to that, as was seen in this case, the dangerous way electricity is bypassed to power these grows is a big fire hazard that can put people in surrounding homes at risk too.

“In short, cannabis grows of this nature are nothing but trouble."

PC Johnson continued, saying: “The Newark and Sherwood Operation Reacher team are committed to breaking up as many cannabis grows as possible and eradicating this problem from our communities

“If anyone has any information about drug activity in the Upton or Newark area, we’d ask that they contact the police on 101, or contact us on opreacher-n&s@nottinghamshire.pnn.police.uk”