UK police forces detected more than 6800 cannabis farms and factories in the UK in 2009/10.
That’s the finding of a new report from the Association of Chief Police Officers into the cultivation of cannabis in the UK.
The ‘UK National Problem Profile, Commercial Cultivation of Cannabis’ also reveals that:
• Over 1.3 million plants with an estimated value of £150 million were recovered during the two year survey period
• The criminals involved in this activity are changing with more white British people involved than ever before
• The majority of offenders are between 18 and 35 years old
• Premises used are becoming more varied with farms now uncovered in industrial buildings, former pubs, cinemas, nightclubs, hotels, print works and banks
• The largest factory found was in an industrial unit in Haddenham, Cambridgeshire where more than 7600 plants were recovered with an estimated value of £2.5 million
• Criminals involved in cannabis cultivation are also involved in other types of crime such as counterfeiting currency and DVDs, money laundering, tobacco smuggling, immigration crime, firearms, blackmail, prostitution, theft and people trafficking.
ACPO lead on cannabis Commander Allan Gibson of the Metropolitan Police said the findings came as no surprise.
Between 2004 and 2007, 800 cannabis factories a year were being uncovered by police. That rose to over 3000 a year in 2007/08 and over 6800 in 2009/10. This increase can be attributed to a number of factors, including an increased focus by law enforcement. The police response is now stronger and more effective through better coordination and intelligence sharing between forces and other agencies and more covert operations against the operators.
The level of publicity around cannabis since its reclassification in 2008 has meant that more members of the community are now reporting any unusual signs of habitation in buildings and houses which is leading to more detections.
This profile gives us a better understanding of the current picture of the commercial cultivation of cannabis in the UK and the need for continued robust enforcement.
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