Operation Keymer was a crackdown on cannabis-growing factories in the United Kingdom during late 2006. This was the first operation by the police to target growing factories and the police described it as a great success.

Scale of operation

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The extent of the operation is not known exactly and reporting of it is contradictory. A Cambridgeshire Police report stated that between 25 September 2006 and 6 October 2006, nine raids took place netting them 12 arrests and over 4500 plants.[1] The Guardian website reports 28,000 cannabis plants and 54 kilos worth £2.5 million over the same period.

Effects

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On the street it widely affected the supply of cannabis, leading to many "dry" areas. Shortages were predicted to continue until February when the replacement stocks were ready to be harvested.[citation needed]

The operation is blamed for the spreading of sub-standard cannabis containing silica, a sand-like substance that when inhaled causes silicosis (a form of irreversible damage to the lungs).[2][3][unreliable source?]

References

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  1. ^ "Title unknown". Archived from the original on February 5, 2012.
  2. ^ "Title unknown". Archived from the original on 2007-03-01.
  3. ^ "Contamination". UKCIA Forum. Archived from the original on 2012-07-16. Retrieved 2012-12-03.