Police have released footage of officers uncovering a large cannabis farm in North Yorkshire, as they arrest two men for offences connecting to the incident.
The bodycam footage of the arrests and officers discovering the cannabis farm has been shared as part of an ongoing operation to stamp out the drug supply in the region.
The cannabis farm was uncovered after a neighbourhood police officer, PC Heather Campbell, was walking her beat in Reeth when a member of the public mentioned some suspicious activity at a nearby barn.
PC Campbell went to the barn, which was being rented out, with another officer from the Neighbourhood Policing Team.
According to police, before they entered the building they noticed a strong smell of cannabis and the sound of whirring fans.
People in the community had also noticed a car coming and going frequently, at strange times of the day.
Inside, they found the barn had been subdivided into 18 smaller compartments.
They opened up each compartment door to find more than 100 cannabis plants in total, which have been seized.
Two men, one in his 40s and another in his 20s, both from east Leeds, have been arrested.
Both men were taken into custody, where they currently remain. The scene has been secured for Crime Scene Investigators. A full investigation is underway and the vehicle they were using has also been seized.
In a separate incident, Sergeant Chris Ross of Hambleton Neighbourhood Policing Team found 160 cannabis plants in a rented house in Stokesley after concerns about suspicious activity were raised.
The plants have been seized and a criminal investigation is ongoing.
Inspector Lauren Wilkinson, of the Richmondshire and Hambleton Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “These excellent results highlight the value of good, traditional community-based policing.
“By being part of the community and through our great relationship with the public in this part of Yorkshire, we can act on community concerns quickly and decisively.
“That’s allowed us to take a significant number of cannabis plants out of circulation and arrest two suspects, all as a result of foot patrols and chatting to the community when we’re out and about.”
Insp Wilkinson added: “We tend to think of drug production as an urban crime. North Yorkshire’s rural geography and big agricultural buildings can make it a target for those who grow large volumes of cannabis or produce other illegal substances.
“I’d urge anyone who has information about possible drug dealing to contact us, either by using the reporting page on our website or by calling 101. Results like this prove we can and do act on this information and we always appreciate people sharing their concerns.”
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