£800,000 cannabis factory found in Coalville by Leicestershire Police

The operation was part of County Lines Intensification Week to target drug dealing.

In one week, Leicestershire Police has carried out 11 warrants, arrested 28 people and recovered more than £100,000 of drugs and £35,000 in cash to tackle ‘county lines’ drug dealing.

In Coalville, officers discovered a large cannabis factory with 900 plants valued at approximately £800,000 plus £11,930 in cash.  Two men were charged and remanded another man was arrested and released under investigation.

East Leicester officers seized £200,000 of Class ‘A’ and ‘B’ drugs and £20,000 in cash and some ammunition.  A man was arrested and charged and remanded into custody.

Chief Inspector Emma Maxwell said: “The national County Lines Intensification Week has come just a few weeks after we arrested 43 people under Op Impose in the Hinckley area taking out an entire county line.  We searched 76 addresses and recovered almost £200,000 in cash, various offensive weapons and around 6kg of heroin with a value in excess of £300,000 – which doesn’t take into account the street value."

The operation was part of a national County Lines Intensification Week (CLIW) (Monday 11 October to Sunday 17 October) which saw police forces up and down the country working together.

County lines gangs export drugs into other areas of the country, often small towns, using dedicated mobile phone lines.

They also exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store drugs and money, sometimes using coercion, intimidation and violence.

Chief Inspector Emma Maxwell said: "We’ve been able to take a very significant amount of drugs off our streets and prevented criminals from continuing to supply drugs.  However, our operation is about more than just disrupting the supply lines, we are working with local organisations to get help for those who want it and during the national week of action we made 85 safeguarding visits to vulnerable young people.”