Two illegal immigrants jailed over ‘colossal’ cannabis grow at house
TWO MEN have been jailed for their involvement in a huge cannabis growing operation at a Nottingham house.
Sami Lame, was offered £1,300 a month for working at the address in Mansfield Road, as “a gardener”, Nottingham Crown Court heard on Friday.
Lame, 24, of Logan Street, Bulwell, accepted he had arrived in the country illegally, and suggested he feared if he abandoned the job his family in Albania may be threatened.
Meanwhile, co-accused Haxhi Lleshi, 39, of no fixed abode, was also in the country illegally. He had been told by friends that work was available at the property and was there for four months, also working willingly, and he expected to be paid a similar sum to Lame.
But their involvement came to an end when police raided the property on the afternoon of March 1.
After a silver Audi A3 pulled up in front of the property with the pair inside, Lleshi was detained in the vehicle. Lame had gone inside and tried to get away but was detained 150 metres away. In the boot of the car was a large bag of fertiliser and 198 cannabis seedlings.
Inside the property, the living room and two bedrooms were converted for the commercial growing of cannabis, explained prosecutor Jon Fountain.
The living room had the remains of a cannabis grow which had been cropped and just 20 stumps remained in pots. In total, 267 plants, including seedlings were recovered, with an estimated yield of up to 22-and-a-half kilograms of flowering heads worth up to £225,000 when sold on the street.
Both men pleaded guilty to producing cannabis. The case was interpreted in Albanian.
Mark Knowles, representing Lleshi, who was jailed for 12 months, said his client received no money, although clearly there was a promise of cash.
“He came over some three years ago in the hope of a better life and was working in London in a car wash and construction sites, anywhere he could be paid cash in hand,” said Mr Knowles.
The majority of the money was sent back to Albania.
But a lot of work ceased during lockdown and he was struggling for money.
There was a number he could ring to speak to some people who were based in Nottingham. “He does not dispute he knows it was a cannabis grow when he arrived,” said Mr Knowles.
Matt Hayes, representing Lame, who was jailed for nine months, said: “He is remorseful for his actions”.
Judge Steven Coupland told Lleshi and Lame in the dock: “This was cannabis production on a colossal scale”.
He accepted it was not their idea or operation and that the vast profits were not going into their pocket.
“But each of you played an important role growing this cannabis,” he added.
“What you were doing was putting a significant amount of cannabis onto the streets of Nottingham and a significant amount of money in the pockets of organised criminals”.