This cannabis plantation is not in the Amazon... it's in YORKSHIRE trends now
Nestled in the dense vegetation between a motorway and railway line in West Yorkshire is a lucrative marijuana farm, where plants grow up to eight feet high.
Two cannabis enthusiasts in their mid-20s tend to the crop from seedlings to sale point.
Over the course of a year, the men allowed Bradford based photographer John Bolloten to monitor and picture their illegal trade. The photos form part of a book, titled North Guerillas, documenting the year on the farm.
They refer to themselves as the North Guerillas, and take great pride in their crop of about 50 plants.
They operate on public property, effectively hidden in plain sight near a thoroughfare where passersby go on daily walks, catch the train to work or even sit in traffic.
This is the inside of an illegal outdoor cannabis farm, tended to by two marijuana enthusiasts in their mid-20s
West Yorkshire Police left a calling card which read: 'Dear drug dealers, we have your drugs! Call 101 to get them back.'
Pictures of the process show the men separating the types of marijuana they're about to grow into plastic cups. The different strains range from 'Dutch Dragon' to 'Cream Caramel' and 'Special Queen'
Allowing Bradford based photographer John Bolloten into their private quarters, the two men - who cannot be named but refer to themselves as the North Guerillas - have offered an insight into the world of weed growing
The North Guerillas scale an 26ft wall to access their crop, often protecting their faces in dark coloured masks and wearing long sleeved clothes.
Everything they need for growing must be carried into the area by hand, and they generally harvest under the cover of darkness.
Wearing face masks to protect their identity as they work, the men move the crop into a gazebo they erected themselves to be dried out, weighed and eventually bagged up for distribution.
Pictures of the process show the men separating the types of marijuana they're about to grow into plastic cups. The different strains range from 'Dutch Dragon' to 'Cream Caramel' and 'Special Queen'.
After the germinating stage, they move through the thick vegetation until they reach the area where they plant them.
Wearing face masks to protect their identity as they work, the men move the crop into the shed to be dried out, weighed and eventually bagged up for distribution
The duo use a drone to monitor their crop from afar
Eventually, it is weighed on a set of scales and bagged up, ready for distribution
Over the course of a year, the duo plant up to nine types of marijuana seeds, transferring them from small pots as they grow until they're eventually ready to be moved into the ground
The pants are transferred from small terracotta pots, first into larger pots and eventually directly into the ground.
Water is usually the heaviest item they have to lug between areas. Despite Yorkshire getting ample rain, growing marijuana is a tedious task and the plants require a certain amount to properly develop.
The duo use a drone to monitor their crop from afar.
When it is ready to be harvested, pictures show the crop drying on a string inside the shed.
Eventually, it is weighed on a set of scales and bagged up, ready for distribution.
The location of the illegal farm is set between a motorway, railway line and busy road, meaning the men take a significant risk each and every time they visit.
The photos form part of a book, titled North Guerillas, documenting the year on the farm
The location of the illegal farm is set between a motorway, railway line and busy road, meaning the men take a significant risk each and every time they visit
The duo hike through the vegetation to their secluded growing ground in West Yorkshire
Police raided the public land at the tail end of the growing season, seizing what was left of the plants.
But the North Guerillas were not at the farm when the raid took place and they've since reestablished their crop, continuing their underground operation to this day.
West Yorkshire Police left a calling card which read: 'Dear drug dealers, we have your drugs! Call 101 to get them back.'
It's hard to determine exactly how much the crop would be worth, as it is largely dependent on the size and success of each plant.
In recent police busts, 1200 cannabis plants in one illegal farm had an estimated street value of £960,000, while 110 cannabis plants with an estimated street value of £110,000 were seized at another location in Telford.
Ninety plants discovered in Leicester were estimated to be worth about £70,000 when seized in April 2022.
The duo plant up to nine types of marijuana seeds, transferring them from small pots as they grow until
