Cannabis with a street value of almost £8.5 million (€10.7 million) has been seized by police in the North, it was revealed today.
Police said organised gangs from Britain moved into rented flats and houses to grow plants before selling the drugs throughout the United Kingdom.
As part of a major operation which has been running for several months, the PSNI has charged 45 people, all of them from South East Asia.
About £120,000 in cash and substantial amount of equipment used in the cultivation process were also recovered during searches of 55 properties. A total of 56 arrests were made.
The PSNI said there would be more searches.
Since late last year officers have recovered 14,500 cannabis plants worth £7.3 million, as well as 113kg of herbal cannabis with an estimated value of £1.1 million.
Det Insp Peter Moore said: “Police believe those involved in this illegal activity are not ‘local’ Chinese people but individuals from outside Northern Ireland,” adding that the local Chinese community should not be stigmatised or victimised.
PA