Gang leader jailed after turning office block into huge drugs farm
A drug gang leader who converted a town centre office block into a massive cannabis farm has been jailed for seven years.
Policeuncoveredabout400 cannabis plants during a raid on the five-storey Ridgemount House building in Bede Way, Peterlee, last April.
Samir Baghdadi had converted two-storeys of the landmarkbuildingforuseasadrug farm, complete with sleeping quarters, food supplies and cooking utensils on one floor and 400 plants on another.
Thebuildinghadbeencompletelymodifiedfortheprofessionalsetupandtheelectricity was so dangerous it had to be completely turned off.
Following reports from the public of double mattresses being moved into the vacant building, police swooped to findBaghdadiwithsevenother accomplices on the premises.
Baghdadi denied knowing of the men’s existence in the building, but all eight were arrested at the scene and were chargedwithbeingconcerned in the production of a Class B drug.
AndaDurhamCrownCourt on Tuesday, a jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict for the 53-year-old, of Dunstable Road, Markyate, Hertfordshire, after a six-day trial.
Although the plants were young, officers estimate that potential earnings from a mature crop could have run into several hundred thousand pounds.
Baghdadi’s“trustedlieutenant”AnastasBani,28,ofBrentmead Place, London, was also sentenced to 42 months after pleading guilty.
The pair join the other six men in prison who have already been sentenced.
They include: Hekuran Xekoypan, 27, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to 33 months;LediBaxhija,22,ofno fixed abode, was sentenced to 30 months; Ksandros Lapardharja,24,ofnofixedabode,was sentenced to 10 months; Kujtim Shabanaj, 44, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to 33 months; Romeo Dinaku, 26, of Leslie Drive, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, was sentenced to 11 months; Daniel Kapxhio, 31, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to 11 months.
Morethan300bagsofcompostseizedbypoliceduringthe raid were donated to Horden CommunityGardenandPeterlee Community Garden.
While about 30 bags of groceries which were found in the building were donated to the East Durham Trust foodbank.
Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Lawrence, of Durham Constabulary, said: “Cannabis farms are a lucrative source of incomefororganisedcriminal gangs and we’re grateful to the public for their assistance in
helping us to disrupt that supply.
“This was a massive team effort which included officers fromseveralteamssuchasCSI and Neighbourhood Policing, Response and CID teams who
all worked hard throughout to make sure this group was brought to justice.”
Detective Sergeant Jenna Cook, who led the investigation, added: “Baghdadi has operated on a high-scale level
andtargetedDurhamConstabulary’s area to commit organised drug crime.
“They will not be tolerated in our area and we hope this sentence sends a clear warning to other groups who would
look to bring misery to others throughthesetypesofcrimes.”
Anyone with information onthesupplyofdrugsinCounty Durham is asked to ring policeon101orCrimestopperson 0800 555111.