Crimestoppers Urges Community Vigilance Over Cannabis Farms and Gang Violence
UK charity Crimestoppers has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of properties being used by criminal gangs to produce cannabis after receiving over 14,000 anonymous reports in 2022 from concerned members of the public about cannabis being grown illegally in their community.
When violent gangs are behind large-scale cannabis production in either commercial or residential properties, they bring violence and intimidation.
The workers have often been trafficked and exploitation is rife.
Rival gangs and opportunistic criminals break into grow houses and cannabis farms to steal crops and equipment.
This could lead to violence at any time of the day and night with innocent people getting caught in the crossfire on their own doorstep.
Key signs that a property is being used to cultivate and grow cannabis:
Physical indications with the property
Signs for letting agents and landlords to look for with a tenant
Illegal drug activity has a detrimental effect on local communities and on vulnerable people who are often coerced and exploited into carrying out illegal activities.
Some of those working at the ‘farms’ are victims of human trafficking and are forced to work against their will.
They may be tied to debt bondage, where they are tricked into working for little or no money to repay a debt.
Alternatively, the home of a vulnerable person could be taken over by a drug gang, known as ‘cuckooing’.
Cannabis farms pose a serious threat to the neighbourhoods where they occur as there is a high risk of fatal fires as electricity meters are often bypassed and overloaded.
We’re raising awareness of the risk of violence and intimidation that follows when criminal gangs take over properties to grow cannabis and go unchallenged.
Criminals are also posing as labourers, digging up roads to illegally tap into the power supply.
Gangs rent properties in both urban settings and rural parts of the country.
"Call 0800 555 111 at any time or use our anonymous online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org. We cannot trace calls or get IP addresses. Not even we will know your identity when you contact us to pass on vital information."
“We are encouraging the public, including property contractors and landlords, to keep their eyes open and to report any suspicious signs to our charity 100% anonymously.
“We, like you, value safe communities and since the 1980s, we have always kept our promise of anonymity to everyone who contacts us.
"Call 0800 555 111 at any time or use our anonymous online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org. We cannot trace calls or get IP addresses.
Not even we will know your identity when you contact us to pass on vital information.”
Crimestoppers is an independent charity and is not part of the police.
