Drug farmers' £200m theft - Crime - UK - The Independent Cannabis farmers steal about £200m of electricity every year to grow their illegal crops, a study has found. Phil Butler, from Newcastle University's Centre for Cybercrime and Computer Security, said that the stolen electricity was enough to power every home in a city the size of Newcastle for a year. "The electricity costs associated with even a small-scale farm are astronomical," Mr Butler said. The individuals responsible find ways of siphoning off the electricity from the main source - often this means digging down underground outside.