SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 18 May 2024, Saturday |

British police seize cannabis worth $146 mn, charge over 450 people in massive month-long operation

The British police have declared the successful conclusion of Operation Mille, an extensive drug operation that took place during the month of June.
More than 450 individuals have been charged, and cannabis plants with a value exceeding £115 million or $146 million were seized in the operation, which took place across England and Wales.

The searches and arrests carried out during Operation Mille were conducted on an unprecedented scale and speed, according to the police.

The seized cannabis plants, totalling nearly 200,000, were estimated to have a street value ranging from £115 million to £130 million or $147 million-$166 million.
“Nearly 200,000 cannabis plants with an estimated street value of between £115-£130 million ($147 million-$166 million, 135 million-152 million euros) were seized,” said the police as per an AFP report.

Additionally, over 1,000 people were arrested during the operation, with more than 450 of them subsequently facing charges.

Steve Jupp, the lead for serious organised crime at the National Police Chiefs’ Council, highlighted the direct links between organised networks involved in cannabis production and various other serious criminal activities.

Talking to the press, Jupp said that “Organised networks involved in cannabis production are also directly linked to an array of other serious criminality such as class A drug importation, modern slavery and wider violence and exploitation.”

    Source:
  • Wions