News

Huge cannabis farm and ‘imitation’ firearm uncovered during early-morning raids in Leigh

Police also seized a whopping £6,000 in cash too.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 20th December 2023

Police in Leigh were shocked to uncover a huge cannabis farm and an imitation firearm during early-morning raids this week.

After officers from the Wigan organised crime team managed to execute warrants at two addresses, a series of raids were carried out in the Greater Manchester town of Leigh during the early hours of the morning yesterday (19 December).

During the raids, a “large” cannabis farm was discovered, as was around £6,000 in cash – which was seized by officers, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has confirmed.

On top of this, one of the more shocking discoveries during the raids was an imitation firearm.

https://twitter.com/GMPLeigh/status/1737187830571344249

Following the raids this week, GMP has confirmed that two men aged 21 and 24 have been arrested on suspicion of production of cannabis and possession of an imitation firearm, while another 29-year-old man has also been arrested on suspicion of production of cannabis.

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All three men currently remain in police custody for questioning.

Speaking on these successful early-morning raids, Detective Inspector Pat Wood, who leads the districts ‘Challenger’ team, commented: “The perception that the cultivation of cannabis is victimless couldn’t be further from the truth, as drug trafficking is a major source of revenue for organised crime gangs, and funds other elements of serious crime such as firearms and modern slavery.

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“It’s for that reason that warrants and arrests relating to cannabis farms have a disruptive impact on organised criminal activity in the area.

A huge cannabis farm and an ‘imitation’ firearm have been uncovered during early-morning raids in Leigh / Credit: GMP

“We will continue to pursue these types of offenders and remove them from our streets.

DI Wood also assured that the the intelligence gathered by police today will enable GMP to “build up a greater picture of the illegal activity happening across Wigan and Leigh”, and it will contribute to “future operational activity” too.

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Following the raids this week, GMP is continuing to appeal to the public that if they suspect someone is illegally supplying drugs or illicit substances in your community, then they should report it online or via LiveChat at www.gmp.police.uk.

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Alternatively, they can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Featured Image – GMP

News

Police give crucial updates on human remains found close to M67 in Tameside earlier this week

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Motorway

Crucial updates on the investigation into human remains found close to a Greater Manchester motorway have now been provided.

It comes after officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called out to the M67 in Tameside earlier this week shortly after 11pm on Monday (3 August) by road workers who made a discovery close to a bridge between junctions 3 and 4, while they were carrying our routine maintenance work on the motorway.

The motorway was then closed to the public for the majority of the following day (4 August) while a police investigation got underway.

Since then, a Home Office post-mortem has taken place to provide more details.

With police confirming that further enquiries are currently ‘ongoing’ and the investigation proceeding at pace, some information about the identity of the human remains has now been released.

It is now known that the body is that of a male aged between 20-28-years-old, approximately 5’5″ to 5’9″ tall and of medium build.

The ethnicity isn’t known at this stage, but it’s expected that this will be confirmed along with other details in due course.

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“We are continuing to work with specialist teams to understand the full circumstances behind how the man’s body ended up by the bridge, how he died, and to locate next-of-kin to establish an identity,” GMP said in a statement.

Featured Image – Peter McDermott / Geograph (via Wikimedia Commons)

News

Mancs advised ‘do not travel’ today amid MAJOR region-wide train disruption

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Mancs advised 'do not travel' today amid MAJOR region-wide train disruption

Passengers across the North West are being told not to travel today, after a power failure triggered major disruption across the region.

A vast number of trains have been cancelled in and out of Greater Manchester due to the failure at Manchester Rail Operating Centre (ROC).

The disruption started earlier this afternoon but is expected to continue across all operator routes until the end of the day.

Now, rail operators are issuing ‘do not travel’ notices, and ticket acceptance has been put in place across all Bee Network buses and Metrolink services.

A statement shared by Manchester City Council: “Due to a power failure at the Manchester Rail Operating Centre (ROC), there is major disruption on the rail network across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and the Midlands.

“Delays and cancellations are expected on all operator routes across Greater Manchester until the end of today (Thursday 6th August). Rail operators have issued a do not travel notice with travel advice and the latest information HERE.

“Ticket acceptance is in place on all Bee Network buses and Metrolink services across Greater Manchester.”

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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