Coronavirus: Cannabis plant seizures rise 'due to lockdown'

Cannabis plants thought to be worth more than £825,000 were discovered in a single seizure in Eastwood

People spending more time at home during lockdown have been giving police tip-offs, leading to increased raids on cannabis farms, a force said.

Nottinghamshire Police said it had seen a "spike in intelligence reports" as people were "spending more time in their communities".

It seized plants with a street value of more than £3m in May - an increase of 280% on the same period in 2019.

Reduced crime overall meant it had more time to tackle drug offences, it added.

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Det Ch Insp Richard Bull said: "What we've seen is a significant increase in the amount of intelligence coming into the police from people who are obviously spending more time at home, and spending more time in their communities.

"One of the consequences of that is more drugs intelligence."

Det Ch Insp Richard Bull said an increase in intelligence, and a reduction in other crimes, had helped officers seize more cannabis

The force recently raided an abandoned medical building in Eastwood, which was the result of a tip-off from a member of the public, and found cannabis with a street value of £825,000.

Mr Bull added that a decrease in crime linked to the "night-time economy", for example, meant it had more resources to investigate tip-offs.

Insp Mark Dickson said many people wrongly thought cannabis production was "a victimless crime".

He said it "is often linked to ruthless organised criminal gangs who are happy not only to use extreme violence, but also to enslave vulnerable people".

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