Last updated at 10:53, Monday, 02 April 2012

More than £1million worth of cannabis has been seized by by police in West Cumbria in the last two months.

The cannabis plants and resin were confiscated during Operation Kibosh, a crackdown on organised crime in the area which ran throughout February and March. 

Five cannabis farms were shut down in the operation and plants and harvested cannabis with a street value of £800,000 was seized from them.

Thirty eight kilos of cannabis resin with a street value of £220,000 was also seized.

Police searched 36 properties during the operation in towns and villages including Workington, Maryport, Seaton and Silloth.

Twenty nine people were arrested for offences including possession of drugs, cultivation of cannabis, intent to supply and burglary.

Five have been charged.

Brett Carruthers, 31, of Pica Cottages, Workington, was charged with production of cannabis and possession.

He appeared at West Cumbria Magistrates Court last month and his case was adjourned until May 4.

Gary Rickerby, 39, of Bolton Street, Workington, and Raymond Turner, 39, of Hunters Drive, Seaton, were charged jointly with possession of cannabis with intent to supply.

This was in relation to cannabis weighing in at 37.5 kilos, which had been recovered during Operation Kibosh, with a street value of £220,000.

Christopher Hadfield, aged 25, Gordon Street, Workington, was charged with supplying a controlled drug and will appear before West Cumbria Magistrates on Wednesday.

Six people received a caution.

The rest are on bail while investigations continue.

The government have estimated that organised crime costs the country between £20 billion and £40 billion pounds every year

Detective Chief Inspector Capstick, who led the operation, said: “This operation has provided focus to West Cumbria’s police officers in tackling organised crime in our area.

"Organised crime and its effects are felt by the communities we police and protect.

“There is an ever increasing determination by the police to combat the problems and criminality organised crime brings to our communities.

"We will continue to identify and tackle criminals who have a detrimental effect on our communities, by bringing drugs into the area, stealing off local residents and leaving those victims to pay the costs.

“This operation as dented a significant hole into the organised crime in West Cumbria and from the seizures that have been made, a high percentage of drugs have been removed from our streets and criminals are being brought to justice.”

Anyone you suspects criminal activity in their area can contact police on 101 or speak to your local neighbourhood policing team.

First published at 10:29, Monday, 02 April 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk