VIDEO: Look inside huge cannabis factory discovered by police at former casino in Northampton town centre

Northamptonshire Police executed a warrant at the former Aspers casino in Commercial Street at around 9am on Thursday October 30.

Plants in various stages of growth were found across multiple floors of the building, according to police.

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: “Police officers executed a warrant at the old casino building in Commercial Street, Northampton, at about 9am this morning (October 30).

“A large cannabis grow was discovered inside with plants in various stages of growth across multiple floors.

“One arrest has been made and officers are now working to clear the location and make the building safe.”

Speaking at the scene, Inspector Nicola Davis-Lyons, the Northamptonshire Police Neighbourhood Inspector for Northampton Central, said: "The team are down here today executing a Section 23 Misuse of Drugs Act warrant. We forced entry this morning using specialist officers to gain access to the premises, and we've uncovered quite a large cannabis production operation. It’s very big - it spans three floors – and we’re going to be here for quite some time. It’ll take several days and require specialist resources and officers to get through and recover everything evidentially.

"Obviously, we’re really pleased to get this amount of drugs off the streets, but there’s another side to it that we need to focus on. A production of this scale involves a lot of organisation, and there will be an organised criminal group behind it. Quite often, they traffic and exploit people into operations like this, probably under threat of violence, and that’s a side people don’t often see. This isn’t just about cannabis or seizing drugs – it’s about identifying and targeting those who cause harm, exploit vulnerable people, and use them in operations like this.

“As we forced entry to the property, one male gave himself up to us; he’s now in custody and the investigation into his involvement is ongoing. The setup here is very organised – efforts had been made to keep the police out, with some doors bricked over and rooms reinforced with steel. This morning was about making the scene safe so our specialists and scenes of crime officers could get in, recover evidence, and begin dismantling the setup. Everything now slows down so we can work methodically, carefully, and safely – maximising what we can from the investigation while keeping our team safe.

"At this stage, I don’t have an estimate of the street value because we haven’t completed a full count of the plants, but I’d personally estimate there are thousands in there. It’s a very big operation. This warrant was led by the neighbourhood team, who’ve made a huge effort over the past six months to be more visible and engaged in the town. When we receive intelligence, we develop it as quickly as possible – and in this case, once we had the information, we acted swiftly to get in."

Aspers Casino, which had operated in the town for 18 years, closed in October 2024 after the company said it had struggled to return to pre-Covid trading levels. Shortly afterwards, the site was sold twice.