Cannabis farms out of harvest as Tameside neighbourhood officers shut down growers

A number of suspected cannabis farms in Tameside have been shut down recently due to a concentrated effort by the local neighbourhood team.

In recent months, officers have conducted numerous warrants, acting on intelligence gathered both internally and within the local community.

The result has been the seizure of thousands of cannabis plants, thousands of pounds worth of growing equipment, money, and other drug-related paraphernalia.

In recent months, positive warrants executed in the search of properties cultivating cannabis have totalled 16: seven in May, five in June, and four so far in July. Numerous other warrants have resulted in various arrests and finds.

The warrants have taken place across the borough, with homes in Ashton-under-Lyne, Stalybridge, Dukinfield, and Audenshaw receiving visits from officers.

Appropriate action has subsequently been taken, including arrests and charges, while officers have continued to listen to local concerns about drugs.

Most recently, officers executed a warrant on Monday morning (24 July 2023). While the warrant only saw a small amount of drugs for personal use seized, it forms a part of the neighbourhood package: officers will visit you if they have received intelligence. The local team will continue to investigate, disrupt, and simply let people know that they are there.

Sergeant Lisa Halsall, from GMP’s Tameside district, said: “We are determined to shut down cannabis farms across Tameside and we want the community to know that we are constantly working to disrupt them. We will not allow this sort of criminality to fly under the radar.

“The distribution of drugs can result in violent crime, and the exploitation of vulnerable people. Furthermore, the equipment used can be prone to malfunctioning, which has resulted in dangerous fires that have spread to neighbouring homes.

“We will continue to take action when and where is necessary.”

If you have any information that you would like to share, you can contact officers on 101, or call the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Follow your local Tameside social media page for the latest news on PACT meetings in your area, where you can speak to your local officers about any concerns or queries you may have.

Bee In the Loop is your direct line to your neighbourhood policing team and will keep you in the loop about what is happening on your street and in your local community. Sign up now to receive free text or email alerts – www.beeintheloop.co.uk