Police pledge to tackle cannabis farm gangs
Cannabis gangs across Shropshire will be pursued and brought to justice, a police chiefs have insisted.
Tackling organised cannabis growing and distribution is still at the top of the list for West Mercia Police says the chief superintendent Kevin Purcell.
Ch Supt Purcell says the force is committed to taking "robust" action and "relentlessly" pursuing those involved.
"Tackling serious and organised crime is a priority for West Mercia Police. We know there are links to not just cannabis farms, but also the supply of cannabis which are serious and organised," said Ch Supt Purcell.
"So-called cannabis ‘farmers’ are often vulnerable people who have been exploited and made to live and work in horrendous conditions."
He said his team was helped by tip-offs from members of the public.
"We need people to come forward and report their concerns to us, if people report information to us we can take action," he said.
"We have to build a picture of what is happening, we have to piece together the evidence. If people are concerned I would urge them to get in contact with us."
Latest figures by the Home Office show tens of thousands more cannabis plants were seized across the West Midlands in 2017/18 compared to the previous year.
A total of 67,776 were seized across the region, which includes West Mercia and Staffordshire, in the last financial year.
But Ch Supt Purcell said the problem in Shropshire was not as prevalent as it is in other areas.
"I would say we don’t experience the same level of cannabis production as other parts of the country might," he said. "However that doesn’t mean we’re complacent and it is an area we continue to pursue."
Today the Shropshire Star launches an investigation into the class B drug.
We will this week look at the rise in cannabis use, the pressure to legalise it and the arguments over its alleged health benefits and links to mental health problems.
