Half-a-million pounds worth of drugs discovered in secret rooms

On Tuesday morning (October 31), Durham Constabulary received a report of a possible cannabis farm at a house in Middle Street, in Blackhall Colliery.

Officers from local response and neighbourhood teams attended and discovered more than 600 cannabis plants inside with an estimated street value of around half-a-million pounds. Many of the plants, which were at varying stages of maturity, had been hidden in rooms accessed by a secret door hidden behind a mirror. Around 100 were also found in the loft of the property, with the wall to nextdoor’s loft knocked through, extending the farm over the neighbouring property. A 54-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of being concerned in the production of a Class B drug. He was taken to police custody where he was charged with the offence. Vasil Hasa, of no fixed abode, appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (November 1) where he admitted the charge. He was remanded in custody to appear at Durham Crown Court on November 29 for sentencing. Officers dismantled the farm and seized the plants, which will be destroyed. Detective Inspector Darren Wild said: “This was a great team effort from response, neighbourhoods and CID teams who worked quickly and thoroughly to achieve a charge and guilty plea. “Drugs bring misery to our communities, and we will continue to be relentless in our pursuit to eliminate them from the streets. “This grow was not simply ‘just a bit of cannabis’ – organised and extensive farms like this one are often linked to serious and organised crime groups. “They are also potentially major fire hazards and put innocent people who live in neighbouring properties in serious danger. “If you have any concerns about potential drug dealing in your community, or notice anyone acting suspiciously, then please report it to us. “As this operation has shown, we will always act on intelligence to remove drugs off our streets and make our communities safer.” Anyone wishing to pass on any information should contact Durham Constabulary on 101 or via their live chat line.