Police Operation Recovers £8 Million in Cannabis

Law enforcement officials confiscated illicit substances valued at millions of pounds during a nine-month initiative designed to combat serious and organized criminal activity across Norfolk and Suffolk. This collaborative inquiry, named Operation Orbit, conducted jointly by the police forces of both counties, led to 160 detentions and the retrieval of cannabis with an estimated worth exceeding £8 million. The various criminal activities uncovered included the distribution of Class A drugs, large-scale cannabis cultivation, and financial illicit transactions. The probe, carried out from February through October, also yielded the recovery of over £350,000 in currency and a substantial quantity of cocaine. Suffolk Police reported that 65% of the individuals taken into custody have either faced formal charges or been remanded. Detective Chief Inspector Tom Pearse, a member of Norfolk and Suffolk’s Serious and Organised Crime team, stated: “I am often asked what I think success looks like.” He continued: “It is maintaining constant and sustained pressure on these crime groups and making it as difficult as we can for offenders to succeed here.” Pearse added: “We are seeing great results and this is down to the hard work of our front-line officers, staff and investigators, as well as the vital support of our communities.” Among the drug trafficking networks dismantled by law enforcement were those operating from historic structures throughout Norfolk and Suffolk, including disused or deconsecrated churches, some of which functioned as drug production sites. Mark Harrison, who leads heritage at Historic England, commented: “Heritage crime robs us of our collective history.” He further stated: “Historic England is committed to working with police services to reduce offending and educate the wider community about the impact of damage to historic buildings.” In Great Yarmouth, authorities confiscated 25 kilograms of cannabis that had been prepared and packaged for distribution within a vehicle. In Suffolk, personnel protected unaccompanied minors found in Ipswich, employing CCTV footage to track their connection to London and key individuals within the criminal organization. Following this, an individual later admitted guilt to charges of drug supply and money laundering, and £50,000 was recovered from a drug “safe house.” Det Ch Insp Pearse indicated that the objective of the operation was to prevent criminal activity from “taking a foothold and to protect the most vulnerable.” For updates on Suffolk news, access BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.