See inside £100k cannabis factory as teenager is charged with drug offences

Two PCs were patrolling in the Fence Houses area of Houghton on Thursday, April 23 when a resident alerted them to alleged suspicious activity at an address that was believed to be empty on Station Avenue North.

Officers immediately noticed a strong smell of cannabis when they entered the property – and after hearing scuffling, they spotted an occupant who had darted out of the front door.

After a short foot chase, officers arrested an 18-year-old man on suspicion of being concerned in the production of cannabis.

During the search that followed, officers discovered a large-scale cannabis farm worth an estimated £100,000 with plants in various stages of growth found in numerous rooms.

The plants were subsequently seized and an investigation is ongoing into the discovery.

An 18-year-old was later charged and is due to appear before magistrates in Sunderland in the future.

Detective Inspector Neal Craig, of Northumbria Police, said: “This discovery was made possible because a neighbour noticed something that did not look right and raised their concerns with officers who were out on patrol.

“It is because of their decision to report their suspicions that we were able to discover and disrupt this sophisticated drug supply operation that could have seen hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of cannabis supplied to dealers across our region.

“These operations can have links to organised crime and we have now been able to take action to prevent criminals from making any further financial gain from this property, as well as seize mobile phones from the address which will assist in our ongoing investigation into this type of criminality.

“These large-scale farms are potentially fatal for those who live in neighbouring properties. The electric had been bypassed at the address, which could easily have caused a fire and led to devastating consequences.

“We make no apology for our zero-tolerance stance on this kind of criminality. Under the banner of Operation Sentinel, we will continue to work with our partners and the communities we serve in order to proactively target suspects, disrupt crime and protect the public.”

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