A huge haul of drugs was discovered behind a secret opening in a home in Gateshead by police investigating suspicious activity reported by concerned neighbours in the area
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Police release footage of an underground drugs network in Gateshead
A sprawling underground drugs network was discovered when police found a secret trap door.
Officers were alerted to suspicious activity in the Deckham area of Gateshead and made the discovery while attending a property on Highcliffe Gardens. A hidden door in the floor led to a series of drug tunnels and rooms containing almost 200 mature cannabis plants, equipment and a significant electrical bypass.
Specially trained officers were called in to dismantle the cannabis farm and make the electricals safe before class B drugs, with a value of £215,000, were removed from the property.
Investigations have been ongoing to find those responsible, with officers appealing to members of the public for help, ChronicleLive reported. Neighbourhood Inspector Craig Brown said: “This was a particularly concerning case as, coupled with the obvious fire hazard posed by the tampered electricals, it could have affected the structural integrity of the property.
“As well as funding more serious and organised crime, the illicit and unregulated production of cannabis in confined spaces, such as this one, presents a worrying safety risk to both the people involved and the community. Thankfully, members of the community were quick to alert us to the suspicious activity in the area, which enabled us to respond immediately and put it to a stop.”
The incident was similar to an incident earlier this year when Brazilian police confiscated more than 200kg of drugs and guns behind a secret door in a drug dealer’s home. Officers discovered a significant amount of drugs hidden behind a secret square door built into a wall during a raid on a property.
The door was camouflaged by the rest of the wall, but officers were able to uncover the tiny square-shaped hatch cut out into the wall inside the property.
The door was covered in the same wallpaper as the rest of the wall to disguise the contents behind the door. The video shows an armed officer pushing opening the hatch before a long corridor can be seen. Squeezing inside the hatch and into the corridor, the officer films the hidden room and lined with countless blocks of drugs. In the video several firearms can be seen leaning against the wall.
