Cannabis farm found in Harehills crime crackdown as Leeds police arrest five and seize weapon during operation

The two day operation came as part of an ongoing project dubbed ‘CommUnity Harehills’. It also saw police visited 13 commercial properties, with three Community Protection Notice warning letters issued.

An emergency Misuse of Drugs Act warrant resulted in a cannabis farm being found and an offensive weapon being seized.

A total of 3,129 cans of beer, 428 bottles of wine, 255 bottles of spirits, 2,230 vapes and approximately 150,000 cigarettes were also recovered during the operation.

Immigration officers made two arrests and fines of potentially £20,000 were issued to the businesses involved.

It comes as police and partner agencies join forces for the latest instalment of the sustained campaign to target serious and organised crime in Harehills.

Officers from the Leeds East Neighbourhood Policing Team were joined by staff from Leeds Anti-Social Behaviour Team, Licensing, West Yorkshire Trading Standards, HM Revenue & Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions, Immigration, and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

The initiative aims to clear an area of organised criminal activity, ‘hold’ that location to prevent another group from filling the void, and build resilience so the area is less susceptible to criminal groups.

Inspector Alastair Nicholls, who heads the Leeds East Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “The CommUnity Harehills initiative is about working collaboratively with partners to tackle organised criminality across the communities we serve, in line with concerns raised from the local community.

“These days of action demonstrates how police and partners will ruthlessly pursue and disrupt all forms of criminality which causes harm in the local community. The police will continue to work with partners to target and disrupt organised criminality to keep communities safe and feeling safe.”