AN ORGANISED drugs gang teamed up with dodgy workmen to protect £21million cannabis operation that stretched from Dundee to Portsmouth.
Eight men from England have been jailed for 28 years for their involvement in the scheme that saw electricity supplies diverted to 100 cannabis farms.
The operation, by company Elev8 spanned 32 police force areas, including Dundee although no specific details of their Scottish operations were released.
The Wigan and Liverpool-based company had criminals wearing hi-vis clothing dig up roads to divert power supplies to houses, warehouses and disused shops that were being used to store cannabis farms.
The investigation began in January 2023 when North Wales Police received intelligence from residents in Bangor about suspicious activity at a long-abandoned shop on the high street, which led to the seizure of cannabis cultivations worth approximately £1.2million. In the months that followed, additional warrants were carried out at other empty properties on Bangor High Street, leading to the recovery of a further £800,000 worth of cannabis plants.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583517504/1742004687/articles/5vFHQkKI01742011265291/JKm7DE0c21742011423393.jpg]
When officers reviewed CCTV footage, they discovered five men working on the high street in a liveried van bearing the registered company name Elev8. The footage showed these individuals engaging in activities that appeared to be legitimate utility work.
The men wore high-visibility clothing and used signage to close roads, making it appear as though they were conducting legitimate work in broad daylight. Operation Spark was launched and during their enquiries, they discovered a WhatsApp group chat named Elev8 Civils & Utilities. Within the chat, the group discussed their work locations and shared multiple photographs and videos.
It was found that most of the cannabis farms were occupied by Albanian foreign nationals, who claimed they were trafficked into the UK illegally due to debts they owed, acting as gardeners. On February 8, 2024, coordinated strikes took place to arrest the 10 members of the crime group, and various diggers, breakers, generators, vans, motorcycles, and cabling were seized.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583517504/1742004687/articles/5vFHQkKI01742011265291/7620624567.jpg]...
Eight men from England have been jailed for 28 years for their involvement in the scheme that saw electricity supplies diverted to 100 cannabis farms.
The operation, by company Elev8 spanned 32 police force areas, including Dundee although no specific details of their Scottish operations were released.
The Wigan and Liverpool-based company had criminals wearing hi-vis clothing dig up roads to divert power supplies to houses, warehouses and disused shops that were being used to store cannabis farms.
The investigation began in January 2023 when North Wales Police received intelligence from residents in Bangor about suspicious activity at a long-abandoned shop on the high street, which led to the seizure of cannabis cultivations worth approximately £1.2million. In the months that followed, additional warrants were carried out at other empty properties on Bangor High Street, leading to the recovery of a further £800,000 worth of cannabis plants.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583517504/1742004687/articles/5vFHQkKI01742011265291/JKm7DE0c21742011423393.jpg]
When officers reviewed CCTV footage, they discovered five men working on the high street in a liveried van bearing the registered company name Elev8. The footage showed these individuals engaging in activities that appeared to be legitimate utility work.
The men wore high-visibility clothing and used signage to close roads, making it appear as though they were conducting legitimate work in broad daylight. Operation Spark was launched and during their enquiries, they discovered a WhatsApp group chat named Elev8 Civils & Utilities. Within the chat, the group discussed their work locations and shared multiple photographs and videos.
It was found that most of the cannabis farms were occupied by Albanian foreign nationals, who claimed they were trafficked into the UK illegally due to debts they owed, acting as gardeners. On February 8, 2024, coordinated strikes took place to arrest the 10 members of the crime group, and various diggers, breakers, generators, vans, motorcycles, and cabling were seized.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583517504/1742004687/articles/5vFHQkKI01742011265291/7620624567.jpg]...
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Daily Record (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 15, 2025