A man has been jailed after police shut down cannabis farms in two houses next to each other.
Operation Reacher and neighbourhood policing officers worked in tandem to carry out the house raids after receiving intelligence that drug activity was taking place.
More than £220,000 worth of cannabis was discovered growing inside the two adjoining terraced houses in Laurel Avenue, Mansfield.
Around 350 plants were found growing across 10 different rooms, after officers from the Mansfield Operation Reacher team raided the two neighbouring houses at the same time.
All of the plants taken from the cannabis farms were destroyed, while the high value growing equipment used to maintain them was also seized by police.
Cannabis grower Albian Daja was found to be tending the plants at one of the two neighbouring houses but tried to hide from police in the loft while the warrants took place on 6 August 2021.
He was quickly caught by officers, however, after climbing down from the attic and trying to escape by running out through the front door.
He appeared before Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday (17 March 2022), having pleaded guilty to the production of a class B drug.
Daja, of no fixed address, was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison.
Sergeant Neil Priestley, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “It is a common misconception that cannabis production is a victimless crime that doesn’t harm anybody.
“This couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Cannabis production is a serious offence that is regularly linked to organised criminals, who exploit vulnerable people to tend the plants on their behalf while living in conditions that are often unsanitary.
“It is also typical for these types of grows to involve dangerous modifications to wiring and for electricity to be bypassed, which is a huge fire risk to people in the house and in the neighbouring areas too.
“Removing this type of behaviour from our communities is a key priority for the force.
“Our Operation Reacher and neighbourhood policing teams are constantly on the lookout for acts of criminality such as this and carry out regular warrants to stop offenders in their tracks and close these cannabis farms for good.
“We will always act on intelligence about cannabis grows and we will continue to relentlessly pursue those who are behind the growing of cannabis.”
Anyone who has information about drug dealing in their area is urged to please have the confidence to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Young people can also pass on information about crime completely anonymously, using a secure online form, through the youth service Fearless – which is a part of Crimestoppers.
The Fearless website offers young people non-judgemental advice so they can make informed decisions about reporting crime. The service also engages with and educates young people about the consequences of their choices around crime.
To pass on information or for more details visit the Fearless website
