Jail for industrial unit growers
Ramandan Kapaj aged 27, Emiljano Xhafa aged 30, and Genti Binjaku aged 45, were yesterday (Wednesday 11 December) each given a 27-month custodial sentence at Shrewsbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to being concerned in the production of a class B drug.
The men, all of no fixed abode, were arrested on Friday 8 November after officers from Telford’s Neighbourhood Crime Fighting Team (NCFT) and Proactive CID carried out a warrant at an abandoned industrial unit in Hortonwood.
Officers used a ripsaw and enforcer to gain entry to the unit, and quickly arrested the defendants who tried to break down one of the unit’s doors to escape.
14 rooms full of cannabis plants at various stages of growth were discovered on the warrant, and the electrics had also been tampered with. The men had also built a second floor within the unit where more plants were growing.
Sergeant Matt Corfield, from the NCFT, said: “I am pleased with the sentence handed to these men by the judge, as it shows we will not tolerate cannabis farms within our communities and we will put you before the courts if you are found producing one.
“This warrant would not have happened if it wasn’t for the local community reporting it to us; once again showing the importance of sharing information, and working alongside our communities.
“Many illicit cannabis farms are controlled by serious and organised crime gangs, which often use violence, intimidation, and illegal activities to operate.
“These farms can be linked to human trafficking and forced labour, and like this farm often use unsafe electrical setups to power lights and ventilation systems, which are a dangerous fire hazard.”
Sergeant Corfield, added: “In just over a year the NCFT have disrupted a number of cannabis farms estimated to be worth around £12 million pounds across Telford, and we will continue to disrupt them as we aim to create a safer, more supportive environment for everyone.”
Growing drugs can seem to some like a victimless crime, but Archie York, 7, and Jason Laws, 35, died in an explosion in Benwell, Newcastle upon Tyne, on 16 October which was linked to cannabis production. A man has been charged with manslaughter in this incident.
Pic: West Mercia Police
