Lancashire crime: Five members of an OCG, including one from Blackpool, sentenced for running a cannabis factory

In July 2021 Lancashire Police received information from the local community about criminal activity taking place at a property in Garbett Street, Accrington.

As a result of that information and subsequent enquiries, officers forced entry to the premises later the same day and found defendants Mohammed Qabir, Liam Davies, Darren Newey, Anthony Evans and Carl Frost all inside.

Police found fully grown cannabis plants with a street value of over £20,000 inside, with smaller plants also discovered with a potential yield of £37,000. The electricity meter was also being bypassed, which caused a serious risk of fire to the site of the cannabis farm and surrounding properties.

All five defendants were arrested and their mobile phones were seized.

Messages outlining that Newley, Davies and Qabir were key players in the OCG and the production of cannabis were found on their phones. Frost and Evans were shown to have lesser roles within the group.

Appearing at Burnley Crown Court on Wednesday, October 25, the defendants were sentenced to the following.

· Mohammed Qabir, 41, of Heath Street, Rochdale, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis and extracting electricity. Jailed for 30 months.

· Liam Davies, 35, of Main Street, Carnforth, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis. Jailed for 30 months.

· Darren Newey, 51, of Heap Street, Rochdale, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis. Jailed for 27 months.

· Anthony Evans, 58, of Main Street, Carnforth, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis. Received an 18-month community order.

· Carl Frost, 37, of Waverley Avenue, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis. Received an 18-month community order.

PC Paul Wolstenholme, of the Hyndburn Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “These men travelled into Accrington – an area in which they had no ties – from their homes in Greater Manchester and the West of Lancashire specifically to commit crime.

“They did not care about the impact of their criminal behaviour on the local community – a densely populated residential area which houses children and elderly residents.

“I would like to thank the residents who brought the activities of this OCG to our attention. I hope the action taken against them will encourage others to do the same, knowing the police will act on intelligence provided in the appropriate way.”

This pro-active work comes under Operation Warrior, which is Lancashire Police’s response to tackling serious and organised crime in Lancashire and delivering on Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden's Fighting Crime Plan priority of disrupting and dismantling organised crime.Mr Snowden said: "It's important that we send a clear message to criminals that police are coming to get you, and this is another great example of the work officers do, every single day, to disrupt and dismantle organised crime gangs and put them behind bars.

"It's what Op Warrior is all about, taking the fight to criminals that blight our communities, delivering on my Fighting Crime Plan and seeing even more arrests, more asset seizures and more drugs off our streets. Results like this, which will directly make Lancashire safer, are what the public want to see and deliver on a top priority in my Fighting Crime Plan.

"I would encourage anyone to report suspicious activity, or any information that might help in bringing criminals to justice. We continue to go after more and make sure those involved in organised crime feel the full force of the law and have their day in court."