British police have announced the successful outcome of Operation Mille, a large-scale drugs operation conducted throughout 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.
Operation Mille
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.”
The successful operation “not only successfully disrupted a significant amount of criminal activity, but the intelligence gathered will also help inform future law enforcement activity across the country,” he added.
In addition to the cannabis plants, law enforcement officers confiscated 20 firearms and 26 kilograms of cocaine, estimated to be worth £1 million or $1.28 million on the street.
Gangland feuds in the UK
As per AFP, recent crimes related to gangland feuds have deeply affected the nation.
In one case, a nine-year-old girl named Olivia Pratt-Korbel lost her life in a shooting incident in Liverpool, where a man fleeing from a “high-level” cannabis dealer attempted to forcibly enter her home.
Another tragic incident occurred near Liverpool, resulting in the death of a 24-year-old woman who was caught in the crossfire during a gangland shooting at a pub. The perpetrator, Connor Chapman, is awaiting sentencing.
(With inputs from agencies)
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