Rural Carmarthenshire barn turned into £2.1 million cannabis factory
A RURAL barn was turned into a cannabis factory which could have been responsible for putting £2.1 million of cannabis onto the street.
A RURAL barn was turned into a cannabis factory which could have been responsible for putting £2.1 million of cannabis onto the street.
Richard Griffin, aged 51, lived rent-free with his family at the remote £235,000 house at Maes y Pwll in Hermon, and was paid £1,000 a week to manage the massive site.
During his time there he turned a barn into a factory where police then found almost 70kg of cannabis worth £700,000. If that had been mixed by dealers it could have been sold on in deals which would have made them more than £2 million.
Griffin also stole £23,000 of electricity taken to power the 95 lamps which kept the plants in the 60 foot by 30 foot barn alive.
Prosecutor Robin Rouch said that altogether police found 1,100 plants in the factory which was set-up to grow all year round.
In the house police found £10,000 in cash hidden under the floorboards and £3,000 in a bureau.
Swansea Crown Court heard Griffin owned a house in Portugal, jetski's and cars. Officers also found more than £30,000 of unexplained payments made into his wife's account. They could yet be recouped by the authorities.
The owner of the property, who paid for the property in cash, is unknown.
James Hartson, for Griffin, said he accepted his client's role was substantial. "He was a paid manager of a substantial cannabis factory which he helped to set up and now he acknowledges he must pay the price for that. He will do so with his liberty".
Judge Paul Thomas said Griffin, who admitted supplying, producing and possessing cannabis, had been living "high on the hog" and jailed him for four years.
http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk 11/02/2014
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