Sheffield landlords warned of criminal gangs turning homes into drug dens

The warning from Detective Chief Inspector Jamie Henderson, one of South Yorkshire’s most senior ranking detectives, came after the discovery of a £750,000 cannabis farm on London Road earlier this week.

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DCI Henderson said: “Many of the farms I am aware of in recent months were in private rented accommodation, both residential and commercial.

“My advice for private landlords would be to be vigilant and suspicious.

“Organised criminals use others to front their activity. These appear to be genuine and respectable, often presenting themselves as having a family, a new job in the local area and looking to rent a property for their own use.

“After they have taken possession of the property, they disappear without a trace and are replaced by others who convert it for drug cultivation.”

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He added: “Landlords really need to be suspicious if a tenant wishes to pay several months’ rent in cash, in advance.

“My advice would be to resist the urge to accept advance payments without checking the applicant’s references and background.

“Also, be very concerned if you receive repeated requests to avoid visiting the premise or if there is a sudden increase in unusual fortification such as dead-bolts or alarms on interior doors.

“Some tell-tale signs to look out for include residents not living full time at the address and only visiting for a short time each day, or visiting every couple of days; electrical wiring that has been tampered with to tap into the mains supply; powerful lights that are on all day or night; blacked out windows or high humidity in a property – you may notice signs of significant condensation on the windows.

“You may also notice bin bags full of stalks and roots of cannabis plants in the rubbish bin or garden.

“Across South Yorkshire, police are committed to robustly investigating crime associated with cannabis and organised criminality through our Operation Fortify teams and if anyone wishes to report concerns then I’d urge them to call us on 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers.”