Giant cannabis farm worth £500,000 uncovered in Sunderland warehouse

Northumbria Police says the drug operation – believed to be worth up to £500,000 – was uncovered after officers were called to a disturbance within the commercial unit.

Shortly after 11.30am on Thursday, October 1, it was alerted to suspicious activity at a commercial premises that sat vacant on Villiers Street, which runs through Sunniside and Hendon.

It was reported that the windows had been smashed from inside and two people had quickly made off from the address.

Officers swiftly located the drugs factory, which had more than 600 plants at various stages of growth split over two floors – with an estimated value of up to half a million pounds.

Officers also found the electricity had been bypassed.

The farm has since been dismantled and the drugs seized, with an investigation now ongoing into the significant discovery.

Sergeant Mark Ellis said: “This was clearly a huge cannabis farm that was being run from a business premises believed to have sat vacant for a number of months.

“We were alerted by a member of the public who heard a disturbance from within, with the windows being smashed from the inside.

"Our officers have responded swiftly to that information and came across the farm which we believe to be worth up to £500,000.

“Quite often, these types of drug operations have links to organised crime – so it is absolutely imperative that we find these farms, destroy them and ensure the drugs do not end up in the hands of the most vulnerable in our communities.

“These large-scale farms are also potentially fatal for those living in neighbouring properties.

"The electric had been bypassed at this address, which could easily have caused a fire and led to devastating consequences.

“Nobody wants to be living next to a potential death trap – so we would ask anyone who believes someone in their community is running a drugs operation to get in touch.

“I’d like to thank the member of the public who reported this to us – and enquiries are now ongoing to trace those who were running the illicit operation.”

A message from the Editor:

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to the Sunderland Echo website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit here to sign up. You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here. Thank you.