Inside the Sheffield drugs farms where £750k of cannabis was seized by police

Police revealed today how officers had raided two properties in Hillsborough on Thursday as part of an ongoing crackdown into drugs production in the area.

Drugs were recovered from both premises, one on Penistone Road and the other on Owlerton Green.

On Penistone Road, officers discovered cannabis growing across all four floors of the address, from young seedlings, to plants ready to be cropped.

There was also a maze of dangerous electrical cabling, hanging from ceilings and stairwells.

Sergeant Simon Kirkham said: “This was a live grow, with some of the plants just hours away from being cropped, dried and packaged up for the streets.

“We seized around 300 mature plants, worth around £300,000 plus around £200 of bagged drugs.

“Cannabis production is big business, and it feeds into a much wider picture of exploitation, organised crime and violence. The people involved in this type of drug supply, are more often than not involved in other types of criminality too.

“It’s vital that we take action to disrupt these networks which are damaging our communities; putting a dent in production and profits is our priority.”

Since February 2021, the Walkley and Hillsborough Team have recovered over £4 million worth of cannabis, three people have also received custodial sentences and a further two are on remand awaiting their next court appearance.

At the second address on Owlerton Green, officers discovered a sack of prepared cannabis in the cellar, worth around £50,000.

The team also seized a further 400 plants, with forensic examinations also taking place throughout the property.

PC Max Jackson added: “A lot of the properties we’ve raided recently are extremely dangerous, not only due to the unsafe wiring, but makeshift renovation work creating hazardous living conditions.

“Ladders are used instead of staircases; holes are cut in floors and nails are hammered into stair-rails – with the intention of keeping people like police officers out.

“Both of these properties create fire risks to surrounding properties and they attract other forms of criminality, disrupting the peace for those around them."

Enquiries are continuing to identify individuals involved. If you have any information that might help the investigation in this part of the city, please contact police.

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