Yahoo News Huge cannabis farm rumbled inside High Street shop as two men jailed
Two men found inside a Stoke-on-Trent cannabis factory have been jailed. Erjon Dushaj, aged 31, and Zamir Geca, aged 34, were inside the former Empire Bedroom and Dining Furnishers, on Tunstall High Street when police raided it.
Officers found two 'grow rooms' with 124 cannabis plants in each. The 248 plants had a potential yield of 13.5 kilograms.
Now the two defendants have been jailed for 12 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. Prosecutor Alison Whalley said police executed a search warrant at the building at 7.30am on April 26.
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Miss Whalley said: "Makeshift living facilities were found in the downstairs of the building. The cannabis grows were in the upper floors.
"Dushaj was seen to exit the rear of the property but he was detained and arrested. Geca was found inside the property. He was detained and arrested. Phones were seized from both defendants.
"There were two grow rooms with 124 plants in each and 90 lights in each room. No evidence was found on the phones."
Dushaj answered no comment to questions in his police interview. But Geca said he was involved in the production of cannabis and he would water and tend to the plants. He had a debt in relation to his travel to the UK. He received food but no money. But he was told he would receive 10 per cent of the profit on completion of the production.
Dushaj later said he had been there for seven to 10 days before his arrest. He also had a debt in relation to being taken to the UK. He was taken to the building and told to grow the cannabis. He received no profit and did not expect to receive any payment.
Both men, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to the production of a class B drug.
Hamish Noble, representing both men, said both entered the country illegally and have a debt in relation to their transportation here. He said: "They were watering and tending to the plants. They did so under direction. Neither were in a strong position to negotiate. It was a commercial operation, not industrial."
Judge Michael Maher said: "It seems a week does not go by when I do not have before me a case where a property has been converted into the production of cannabis by men such as yourselves who come to this country seeking a better life but involve themselves in this illegal enterprise and flood this community with illegal drugs.
"You were able to come and go as you pleased from these premises. You sought to pay off the debt of travelling to this country by growing this drug. Plainly you must have been, both of you, trusted individuals to look after this substantial enterprise.
"I do not regard you as victims of exploitation. I accept you have been directed by others higher up the chain of command.
"But this was a very significant operation. It is clear to me you would have had a very clear awareness and understanding of the scale of the operation.
"I do not know if your sentence will result in your deportation. That will be decided by the Home Office."
The judge ordered deprivation orders for the drugs and paraphernalia.
