CANNABIS plants with an estimated street value of £250,000 have been seized as police forces across the South West have carried out a major crackdown on large-scale cannabis cultivation.

Between February 17 and 21 there were 32 property searches (warrants), 36 people were arrested and 2,240 cannabis plants were discovered and destroyed and £57,335 cash was recovered. In addition 246g of cocaine, 500g and 32 wraps of ketamine, over 20 Nitrous Oxide (NOS) cannisters, six knives, one firearm, one BB gun, one axe and one electrocution device were seized across the South West.

The action formed part of Operation Mille, a national intensification effort targeting organised crime groups involved in large scale cannabis production. The operation coincided with a regional collaborative effort marking the 11th time that Devon and Cornwall Police, Avon and Somerset Police, Dorset Police, Gloucestershire Police, Wiltshire Police and the South West Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) have joined forces to disrupt drug gangs and dealers operating in the region.

Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: “On behalf of the Police and Crime Commissioners of the five South West police forces, we continue to work together with our partners to combat the scourge of drugs in our region. We listened to our communities and prioritised drugs which created Operation Scorpion. We are as true and resolute to that now, in its 11th deployment, as we were for it first in 2022.

“Running concurrently with national Operation Mille, this time around there has been a focus on large scale cannabis production, which the Police and Crime Commissioners have seen to be a gateway drug. So not only has the activity tackled the sources and consumption of cannabis, but also the criminality, anti-social behaviour, violence and exploitation associated with it.”

In Devon and Cornwall, as part of simultaneous Operation Mille and regional Operation Scorpion activity, approximately 500 cannabis plants of varying growth stages were seized from six locations with an estimated street value of £250,000.

Thirteen individuals were arrested for drug supply offences. Cash amounting to £10,500 was seized. Four vehicles were seized which were used in the commission of drug supply offences, along with an imitation firearm, large Zombie style knife, hammer and knuckleduster. 10kg of cannabis with an estimated street value of £10,000, 100g of cocaine with an estimated street value of £3,000 and 50g of crack cocaine with an estimated street value of £2,500 were also seized.

Assistant Chief Constable Jim Pearce of Devon & Cornwall Police, said: “Behind these operations lies a much larger network of organised crime, which brings significant harm and disruption to our communities. Cannabis farms are often linked to anti-social behaviour, violence, and other drug related activities. The illegal profits fund further criminality both in the UK and internationally.

“I’m extremely impressed by the hard work of our officers in identifying, tackling and disrupting these criminal operations. Their efforts send a strong message that the South West is a hostile environment for organised crime.”