Greek man flew into UK to tend Clifton cannabis grow worth 'hundreds of thousands'

-Credit:Nottinghamshire Police
-Credit:Nottinghamshire Police


A cannabis gardener was found tending to a "sophisticated" grow at a Nottingham house that could have made “hundreds of thousands of pounds”. Nottingham Crown Court heard how Sertzo Kiosia had a manual showing him how to grow the class B drug when police raided the property in Clifton.

All three bedrooms, the kitchen and attic had been converted for the illegal enterprise, the electricity had been bypassed and each growing area was equipped with fans, lights and watering systems. Now the 25-year-old defendant, who had been in the UK legally for four-and-half months having arrived from Greece, is likely to immediately be released from jail as he has already served the equivalent of his sentence on remand.

Jailing him for nine months, Judge James Sampson said: “You were tending to a sizable cannabis grow which had the potential to earn hundreds of thousands of pounds. It was sophisticated, there was lighting, fans, the electricity had been bypassed and I have no doubt you were in it for the money.

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“You were not trafficked or coerced, you had your passport, and could have gone at any time. You came from Greece, you were here legally and you were not overstaying. In effect it is highly likely that this sentence will lead to your immediate release.”

David Allan, prosecuting, said police executed a warrant at an address in Midhurst Way on September 1, 2024. He said when officers arrived and knocked at the door the defendant unlocked and opened it.

The prosecutor said: "Inside, behind the front door was the defendant's bedroom. There was a notebook advising him how to grow cannabis, his passport and his ID card. The entirety of the rest of the house was converted to grow cannabis.

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“All three bedrooms, the kitchen and the attic were converted. There were fans, lighting, and transformers. If all of the cannabis was grown to full potential and sold the estimated wholesale value was between £40,000 and £200,000.”

Kiosia, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to production of cannabis and has no previous convictions. He arrived from Greece at Birmingham airport in May of last year and was entitled to be here for six months.

Mark Sharma, mitigating, said his client has been on remand since his arrest and has therefore served the equivalent of his sentence. In a statement released at the time of the warrant, PC Sam Yallop, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We uncovered a whole production line setup within this address, with trays of seedlings, plants in different stages of growth, cropped pots, and drying areas. There were also vacuum bags ready for the finished product to be packaged.

“This was a large grow with a significant street value, so I’m pleased we were able to shut it down and prevent harmful drugs from hitting our streets.

“We will not tolerate those who seek to profit from the production and sale of drugs, and we will continue to do everything we can to disrupt this kind of criminal activity.

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“Additionally, we often rely on intelligence provided by the public to help us identify similar activity taking place across the force area.

“If you have information or suspect suspicious behaviour in your area please get in touch with us on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”