Tackling Drug Supply and Cannabis Grows in Rugby

Tackling Drug Supply and Cannabis Grows in Rugby

Dear Resident

You may have seen recent media coverage regarding two men who were jailed after police uncovered an underground cannabis farm near Wolston, containing an estimated £500,000 worth of cannabis plants. The sophisticated operation was hidden beneath a shipping container and demonstrates the lengths organised criminals will go to in order to produce and supply illegal drugs.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crkg710lg0q9o

I want to reassure you that we are listening to the concerns raised by our communities and that Rugby Safer Neighbourhood Team & our partner teams are proactively working to disrupt the supply, cultivation and distribution of drugs across the borough. Cannabis cultivation is often far from the low-level crime some people perceive it to be. Many large-scale grows are linked to organised crime groups and frequently involve dangerous alterations to electrical systems, creating a significant risk of fire, explosion, serious injury and even death. These risks extend not only to those involved in the criminality, but also to neighbouring residents, businesses and emergency services responding to incidents.

We have seen a number of serious incidents nationally where cannabis grows have caused fires due to unsafe electricity bypasses and overloaded wiring. This is one of the reasons why identifying and dismantling these operations remains a priority for policing and our partner agencies.

We continue to act on information provided by residents and work closely with partners to identify properties, land and premises being used for drug cultivation. Community information is often the key factor that leads to successful enforcement action.

Please continue to tell us about anything that does not look right in your neighbourhood. Signs can include:

If you have concerns about suspected drug activity in your area, please report it to Warwickshire Police via our website, by calling 101, or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Together, we can make Rugby a safer place and prevent organised criminals from operating in our communities.