Close Menu
WTX News
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • Arrests made at protest for Palestine Action in London
    • Jamie Overton replaces Saqib Mahmood in England XI for third ODI
    • Sure! Here’s the text without the site name, category, date, and full stops: “It blew my mind as a kid” TV fans reveal best sci-fi series ever
    • Israel warns Gaza City residents to flee south to humanitarian area
    • Mauricio Pochettino ‘shocked’ by Daniel Levy’s Tottenham exit
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    WTX News
    • Live News
      • US News
      • EU News
      • UK News
      • Politics
      • COVID-19
      • Business
      • Tech zone
    • World news
      • Middle East News
        • UAE News
        • Palestine News
      • Europe
        • Italian News
        • Spanish News
      • Africa news
      • South America
      • North America
      • Asia
    • News Briefings
      • UK News Briefing
      • World News Briefing
      • Live Business News
    • Sports
      • Football News
      • Tennis
      • Women’s Football
    • MY World
      • Climate Change
      • In Review
      • Expose
      • Special Reports
        • Conscience Convoy
        • Rohingya Report
    • Entertainment
      • Insta Talk
      • Royal Family
      • Gaming News
      • TV Shows
      • Streaming
    • Lifestyle
      • Fitness
      • Fashion
      • Cooking recipes
      • Luxury
      • Money Saving Expert
    • Travel
      • Culture
      • Holidays
    • Sign Up
      • Log In
    WTX News
    • Live News
    • World news
    • News Briefings
    • Sports
    • MY World
    • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Sign Up
    Home - UK News - Innocent neighbours at risk as gangs use rented houses and flats for cannabis farms
    UK News Updated:June 2, 2025

    Innocent neighbours at risk as gangs use rented houses and flats for cannabis farms

    By WTX News Editor4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Telegram WhatsApp
    Innocent neighbours at risk as gangs use rented houses and flats for cannabis farms

    Cliff Notes

    • Organised criminal gangs increasingly utilise rented properties for illegal cannabis farms, raising fire risks for nearby residents due to bypassed electricity meters.
    • Rival gangs resort to violence and intimidation, referred to as ‘taxing,’ to control and raid each other’s operations, endangering lives in the community.
    • Police highlight the need for landlords to be vigilant, noting the damage caused by cannabis farms and the necessity for regular property inspections.

    Innocent neighbours at risk as gangs use rented houses and flats for cannabis farms | UK News

    Organised criminal gangs are increasingly using rented houses and flats to operate illegal cannabis farms – and police say it is putting the lives of innocent neighbours at risk.

    The gangs often use crude methods to bypass electricity meters to avoid paying for the high levels of energy the farms require, creating an increased fire risk.

    Rival gangs also carry out raids on each other’s farms – a practice known as ‘taxing’ – carrying out “significant violence” to anyone who gets in their way, police say.

    Greater Manchester Police detected 402 cannabis farms between May 2024 and April 2025, and Sky News was given access to an operation by its officers at a semi-detached house in a quiet suburban street in Wythenshawe.

    Inside, officers found one room full of cannabis plants and another ‘drying room’ with the drug packaged up and ready to be distributed. The street value was estimated in the tens of thousands of pounds.

     

    Outside, officers found evidence that the electricity meter had been bypassed. ‘Abstracting’ is the offence of dishonestly using, wasting or diverting electricity. One person inside the property was arrested.

    “The electricity gets bypassed in order to avoid big electric bills,” Inspector Bree Lanyon said.

    “Because a substantial amount of electric is required to run the lights, the ventilation, the heat, everything else that’s required in the cannabis farm, the abstract is done in a haphazard way and it can cause fires within the properties.”

    She continued: “We’ve seen a lot of fires recently in premises that have been set up as cannabis farms, because of the way the electricity is set up. It’s not safe and the neighbouring residence could be at risk if that property is burning down.”

    The risks posed by cannabis farms were highlighted by the death of seven-year-old Archie York in 2024. He was killed when chemicals being used in a cannabis factory caused an explosion in the family’s block of flats. The drug dealer responsible was jailed for 14 years.

    The aftermath of the explosion which killed the seven-year-old

    Police say gangs employ low-level operatives, known as gardeners, to manage and protect farms, who will often plead guilty to drug offences and accept the punishment to keep police off the trail of those controlling the operation.

    The use of rented properties – sometimes through rogue landlords – also makes detection more difficult.

    “The vast majority are organised crime gangs,” said Detective Inspector Paul Crompton, from GMP’s serious and organised crime group. “It infuriates me when we take action against these farms and people say ‘It’s only cannabis’.

    “What we see with cannabis farms is that rival organised crime groups will actively target those and break in and take the products by force. You’ve got a risk of potentially people being kidnapped or killed without us knowing anything about them.

    “Make no bones about it, there’s massive amounts of money to make and they would rather just go and take that cannabis and sell it for themselves. They’ll do significant, violence against anybody that gets in the way, whether that’s the gardener, the police or residents who might get in the way.”


    Police check an electricity meter for evidence of ‘abstracting’

    Police say landlords need to be aware of the risks and even the chief executive of the British Landlords Association has fallen victim.

    One of Sajjar Ahmad’s properties was badly damaged by those using it for an illegal cannabis farm. “I can only explain it as horrific,” he said.

    “Our members, when they’ve experienced the problem with the cannabis farm, they are shocked. They didn’t know it could happen. They are not aware of the telltale signs.

    “They have the same regrets as what I experienced – you need to carry out regular inspections and, if somebody is offering you a larger rent, then you should question that.”

    Crime news featured Latest News Manchester Organised Crime UK crime UK featured
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email Telegram WhatsApp
    Previous ArticleTargeted terror attack in Colorado – reports of several victims
    Next Article Will Nintendo games ever come to PC?
    WTX News Editor
    • X (Twitter)
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram

    The WTX News Teams works around the clock to deliver, breaking news and news Briefings to you on a daily basis. It is our opinion that sometimes you need information, not speculation so we try to cut through the bull**** and give you that in your Daily News Briefing.

    Related Posts

    Arrests made at protest for Palestine Action in London
    London

    Arrests made at protest for Palestine Action in London

    Israel warns Gaza City residents to flee south to humanitarian area
    UK News

    Israel warns Gaza City residents to flee south to humanitarian area

    100 firefighters tackling blaze at former BBC television centre in London’s White City
    London

    100 firefighters tackling blaze at former BBC television centre in London’s White City

    President Trump signs order rebranding Pentagon as the Department of War
    UK News

    President Trump signs order rebranding Pentagon as the Department of War

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    Advertisment
    News Headlines
    Arrests made at protest for Palestine Action in London

    Arrests made at protest for Palestine Action in London

    Israel warns Gaza City residents to flee south to humanitarian area

    Israel warns Gaza City residents to flee south to humanitarian area

    Save 70% on VIP subscription
    News Briefings - the way to a better life
    News Briefings - the way to a better life
    Advert by Sponsors
    More from WTX News
    The latest gaming news - with game reviews and tips and tricks. updated 24 hours a day.
    The latest gaming news
    Hot off the press!
    • Arrests made at protest for Palestine Action in London September 6, 2025
    • Jamie Overton replaces Saqib Mahmood in England XI for third ODI September 6, 2025
    • Sure! Here’s the text without the site name, category, date, and full stops: “It blew my mind as a kid” TV fans reveal best sci-fi series ever September 6, 2025
    • Israel warns Gaza City residents to flee south to humanitarian area September 6, 2025
    • Mauricio Pochettino ‘shocked’ by Daniel Levy’s Tottenham exit September 6, 2025
    wtx news brings you the latest news, a UK news briefing, Sports analysis, and premier league news with a special round-up of Business and crypto updates
    Facebook X (Twitter) TikTok Instagram

    News

    • World News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • EU News
    • Business
    • Opinions
    • News Briefing
    • Live News

    Company

    • About WTX News
    • Register
    • Advertising
    • Work with us
    • Contact
    • Community
    • GDPR Policy
    • Privacy

    Services

    • Fitness for free
    • Insta Talk
    • How to guides
    • Climate Change
    • In Review
    • Expose
    • NEWS SUMMARY
    • Money Saving Expert

    News delivered to your inbox

    Copyright WTX News 2025

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.