Police seize massive haul of drugs, cigarettes and fraudulent documents in Peterborough - two arrested

The day saw the team of 30 officers carry out warrants at nine addresses across the city yesterday (Monday), focussing on drug production and dealing, fraud and tax evasion.

First stops for the morning were five residential properties; a house in Fengate uncovered 250 cannabis plants worth £210,000.

At a house in Tirrington, Bretton, officers found 6kg worth of harvested cannabis valued at £60,000 along with a large amount of identity documents and bank cards – 45 of which so far have since been identified as being stolen during breaks into cars, burglaries and robberies between 2018 and 2019 in and around the Peterborough area.

A 26-year-old man, Tomas Sakalauskas, was arrested and has since been charged with three counts of possession of fraudulent identity documents and production of cannabis. He has been bailed to appear at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on January 2.

A 27-year-old woman was also arrested. She has since been released with no further action in relation to cannabis production, but bailed to return to Thorpe Wood Police Station on January 17 in connection with fraud offences.

Forty cannabis plants worth £33,000 were seized from a house in Wheatdole, Orton Goldhay, and Class A drugs, £1,300 cash and a high value watch were seized from a house in Charlotte Way, Netherton.

Equipment worth an estimated £40,000 was seized from the properties found to be growing cannabis.

After a busy start to the day, officers were then joined by officers from Trading Standards to visit three shops and a flat in connection with tax evasion.

No offences were revealed at the first shop in Broadway, and another shop in Huntley Grove, however, thousands of cigarettes and counterfeit tobacco were seized from a second shop in Huntley Grove, with more than £6,000 in evaded tax offences. A small quantity of Class A drugs were found inside a flat, also in Huntley Grove.

Sergeant Jason Hancock, from the north Community Action Team (CAT) – part of the wider Peterborough Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Yesterday saw a fantastic team effort from our officers here in Peterborough. The work we carried out in the space of eight hours – including dismantling cannabis factories – has made a significant impact on organised criminality in the city.

“Our work will continue to make Peterborough a hostile environment for criminals to operate in, we don’t stop just because it is Christmas.”

Members of the public can report information about drug dealing, use and production online via www.cambs.police.uk/report.