Doncaster police seize £2m of drugs in major crackdown on organized crime gangs

Police in Doncaster have taken more than £2million pounds worth of drugs off the city’s streets in a clampdown on organised crime gangs.

Police in Doncaster have taken more than £2million pounds worth of drugs off the city’s streets in a clampdown on organised crime gangs, News.Az reports, citing Doncaster Free Press.

Doncaster North Neighbourhood Policing Team’s intensified efforts to crack down on the production and supply of illegal drugs has seen them seize a huge haul of cannabis since the start of last year.

Over the past 15 months, officers have been acting on intelligence and information provided by members of the public to carry out cannabis warrants at properties across the north of the borough.Their activities have resulted in 10 arrests and six convictions in court, but they have also helped to improve community safety by seizing harmful drugs and reducing the influence of harmful organised crime groups. Doncaster North NPT Inspector Seb Dent said: "The cultivation of cannabis puts innocent people at risk of serious harm and threatens the safety of our communities.

"Not only does it bring organised criminals into our neighbourhoods, but it also poses a fire hazard with electricity meters often being bypassed to generate the electricity needed to grow cannabis.

"This brings with it a risk of fire - not just to that property, but surrounding properties as well, meaning you and your neighbours could end up in serious danger." Warrants have been executed by the team thanks to intelligence gathered through their own tools and resources but also from members of the public. This includes information submitted anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers.

Once enough intelligence and information have been gathered, applications are submitted to the courts to execute warrants and search properties under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

It's these warrants which allow us to take strong enforcement action and remove even more harmful drugs from circulation. Insp Dent is urging people in the north of Doncaster to continue submitting intelligence so they can continue their crackdown on the production and supply of cannabis and other illegal substances.

"We are incredibly grateful to people in our communities for the information and intelligence they have already provided, and the results of the past 15 months shows the impact of this.

"I now want to urge anyone who thinks cannabis is being grown in their neighbourhood to please get in touch with us so we can take action and disrupt the influence of criminal gangs.

"You are the eyes and ears of your communities, and as recent results have shown we will act on what you tell us in order to rid our towns and villages of cannabis and the danger it poses."

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova