Illegal immigrants working as gardeners in £200K cannabis factory have been jailed
Illegal immigrants working as gardeners in £200K cannabis factory have been jailed
Illegal immigrants working as gardeners in £200K cannabis factory have been jailed
Two illegal immigrants who worked as gardeners in a £200,000 cannabis factory have been jailed for 12 months.
Laverim Dedolli and Reno Caushaj, both 26, were caught on the premises, where between 250 and 300 illegal plants were growing.
Both men admitted being involved in the production of the class B drug, at a flat in Nottingham Road, Loughborough.
Leicester Crown Court was told the defendants, both from Albania, had entered the country illegally.
Workmen at an adjacent property were suspicious by the smell of cannabis and notified the police, on October 25.
Jonathan Dunne, prosecuting, said: “An officer attended and made his way into the building.
“He saw these two defendants who spoke to each other in a foreign language.
“He went to the top of the building and found a sophisticated cannabis growing operation with heaters, lighting and a fan system, and between 250 and 300 cannabis plants.
“The electricity was being by-passed from another flat.”
Mr Dunne said the street value of the cannabis was potentially between £175,000 and £210,000.
If the harvest was sold by the ounce, it could fetch about £110,000.
The wholesale value of the crop was about £60,000.
Dedolli was arrested and found to have £470 on him.
There was evidence Caushaj had recently sent a £918 money-gram back home to Albania.
In mitigation, the court heard both men, who lived at the premises, could not speak any English.
They were assisted by an interpreter in court.
James Varley mitigating for Dedolli, and Faye Mellor for Caushaj, said the defendants had been recruited to look after the plants shortly, after arriving in the UK.
They had been at the premises a matter of days before they were caught.
They worked as gardeners and had nothing to do with the organisation or setting up of the factory.
Judge Robert Brown said the defendants faced being automatically deported at the end of their sentences.
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