Police have apprehended three men and confiscated a significant amount of cash and cannabis following a vehicle stop in Birmingham city centre on Friday evening.
The incident occurred when officers from the Guardian team stopped a car at Holloway Circus. Upon searching the vehicle, authorities discovered approximately £13,000 in cash. The driver, a 24-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of money laundering.
Further investigation led officers to recover mobile phones from the car. Data extracted from these devices pointed to an address in Wednesbury. Acting swiftly, police conducted a raid on the identified property shortly after the vehicle stop.
During the raid, officers uncovered two rooms equipped for cannabis cultivation, containing around 150 cannabis plants. All plants and related growing equipment were seized and are set to be destroyed.
In addition to the driver, two other men, aged 28 and 30, were found inside the Wednesbury property. Both individuals have been arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis.
All three men have been released on police bail with specific conditions as investigations continue.
This operation is part of the ongoing efforts by the Project Guardian taskforce, which focuses on targeting knife crime and serious youth violence in Birmingham. The taskforce highlights the close links between such violent activities and illegal drug production and dealing.
