Cannabis plants worth more than £1.5 million have been destroyed in Nottinghamshire as part of a nationwide operation. Nottinghamshire Police officers joined forces across the UK in a month-long operation to locate cannabis grows and arrest those behind them.
Dubbed Operation Mille, 3.285 plants were seized in Nottinghamshire, with 30 people arrested and four people charged. A total of 22 search warrants were issued in Nottingham, Mansfield and Sutton in Ashfield.
There were also 12 additional searches across the county. Detective Chief Inspector Sam Austin, who has led on the operation for Nottinghamshire Police, said: "This national operation has complemented our ongoing efforts to tackle the illegal production of cannabis and bring the criminals responsible to justice.
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"Cannabis production is sometimes described as a victimless crime – in reality this could not be further from the truth. It attracts antisocial behaviour, usually has links to wider criminality, and poses a dangerous fire risk too, due to electricity being bypassed.
"There is also a human cost. Vulnerable people are often exploited to do the dirty work of organised gangs and expected to live in appalling and dangerous conditions as gardeners for the grow in order to help organised criminals make huge profits."
Across the country, Operation Mille raids led to 1,000 people being arrested and £130 million of cannabis being seized. Police say signs of a property being used to grow cannabis include blacked out windows, bright lights in room throughout the night and an excessive amount of plant pots.
