Overview
- Police found nearly 7,000 cannabis plants across 19 rooms beneath Bradford Interchange after forcing entry on 25 November 2024, with a potential street value of about £6.2 million.
- Sheraz Ahmed and Hung Nguyen admitted producing Class B drugs and were sentenced at Bradford Crown Court to 27 months and 24 months respectively, with judges citing an 'undoubted fire risk' from the industrial grow.
- Court testimony said the site included a makeshift mezzanine and living quarters with mattresses, a kitchen and showering facilities, and a drugs expert called the setup extremely sophisticated.
- West Yorkshire Police released footage showing dense rows of mature plants and urged the public to report intelligence, while the West Yorkshire Combined Authority said the area was leased and not accessible to its staff.
- A related April 2026 discovery in the former Wilko store found about 1,700 plants and led to separate convictions and jail terms that carry automatic deportation risk, raising wider questions about oversight of vacant central properties.