Cannabis Factory Raided by Police Wearing Body Cameras
In a series of dawn raids across the country, nine people have been arrested from 11 addresses for growing cannabis. Operation Clevedon was successfully carried out and was captured with dramatic results using police body-cam footage. From one particular property in Gloucester, police uncovered £750,000 of drugs.
Raid Caught on Camera
A body worn camera which was strapped on to one of the officers reveals footage of police breaking down the front door of a maisonette. Officers can be heard yelling for the people inside to, “get back” as they continually used a battering ram to break down the door. On entering the property, they uncovered four rooms bursting with towering cannabis plants.
In addition to the cannabis plants, there was a huge extraction system, loose wires, ventilation shafts and exposed lights recorded on camera. Commentary can be heard in the background of the footage when an officer noted that an extremely potent smell of cannabis was wafting from within the property as he uncovered numerous heavy-duty bin bags packed with “vegetable matter”.
Arrests Successfully Made
The plants found were at varying stages of development, and the operation, aimed at targeting slavery and cannabis factories run by Albanian gangs, resulted in four of the people being arrested on suspicion of providing Class B drugs and six others arrested for the same crime at cannabis factories.
Detective Inspector Ian Fletcher commented that he was pleased with the results from the operation, which was carried out over two days. He condemned the gang members who had set up their cannabis farm directly in front of a Gloucester primary school and attacked them for having a negative effect within the community with no care for the well-being and safety for the rest of the locality.
Increase in Use of Body Cameras
Body worn cameras are used frequently by the police force for a variety of reasons, and according to reports are changing our justice systems. Companies such as https://www.pinnacleresponse.com/ are increasingly providing the police and other security services with the high-tech cameras to ensure safety for everyone.
The Gloucester property was stormed shortly before 8.35am, and the footage captured a man in an orange shirt being arrested. A total of eight men came from Gloucester with the remaining two from Norwich and Essex.