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New figures have revealed that police seized more than 12,000 cannabis plants in Staffordshire last year.
The data also showed that 329kg of herbal cannabis was also confiscated – the highest amount ever seized in the county since figures first began being published in 2010.
It was also the fifth highest amount seized by a police force in England, with only Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and the Metropolitan Police seeing greater hauls.
Herbal cannabis, also referred to as marijuana, consists of dried cannabis leaves and flowers.
Chief Inspector Scott McGrath said that both cannabis farming within the county and the importation of herbal cannabis were growing issues in Staffordshire.
“We are continuing to be proactive in targeting those involved in drug cultivation across Staffordshire as part of our Operation Levidrome commitment.
“Since launching the operation in early 2021, around 350 cannabis grows have been discovered and dismantled across the county.
“We’re continuing to work with Border Force colleagues and have seized a significant amount of imported herbal cannabis as part of our enforcement activity.
“Large-scale cannabis farming is becoming increasingly commonplace and we have sustained efforts to clamp down on this activity; we want to make it very clear this is not welcome in Staffordshire.
“It’s vitally important the public understand that cannabis farming is often linked to sophisticated criminal networks where there are high levels of serious and dangerous criminality.
“Both the public and our partners play an important role in providing intelligence around cannabis cultivation and we continue to appeal for information from landlords, letting agents and the wider public to report any suspicious activity.”
“}]] New figures have revealed that police seized more than 12,000 cannabis plants in Staffordshire last year. Read More