Police bust 2,300-plant industrial-size cannabis factory at former Pontefract legal offices
A house raid led to the discovery of a massive cannabis factory at a town-centre building.
Officers found the 2,300 growing plants at Newgate House in Pontefract, along with two men tending to them.
Illegal immigrant Agim Buci, 31, was jailed this week after it was found he “played a significant role” in the operation.
Leeds Crown Court heard that officers, acting on intelligence, raided Buci’s mid-terrace home on Alverthorpe Road in Wakefield on October 7 last year.
They found a cannabis farm set-up that included 92 mature growing plants with the necessary equipment, including heat lamps and fertiliser.
Three of the eight rooms had been turned over to growing the plants, prosecutor Andrew Semple told the court.
Around 20kg of vacuum-packed dried cannabis was also found in the kitchen.
One man was arrested, but while police cleared the house, Buci returned home, tried the door handle but walked away when he noticed officers inside.
They caught up with him and arrested him. Having seized his phone, they found photos and videos of another cannabis farm, which led them to Newgate House on Newgate, Pontefract.
Built around 1930 as a labour exchange, it was most recently used as offices for a legal firm. Plans to convert it into a house of multiple occupancy (HMO) were rejected in September last year after 413 complaints were raised.
Officer raided the supposedly-empty, 6,000 sq ft premises on October 8 last year and found eight separate rooms filled with 2,300 plants in various stages of growth.
They found a small living quarters with beds and refrigerated food, and the two “gardeners” were detained.
Buci denied any link to the Pontefract drug factory, but later admitted a charge of being concerned in the production of cannabis and producing cannabis.
Mitigating, Jeremy Barton said that Buci, like many in Albania, came to the UK illegally looking for work and a better life.
He was told there was opportunities to work in bars and restaurants, but failed to find employment due to his illegal status. Out of desperation, he said Buci became involved in the illegal drug trade.
Mr Barton said: “He knows this does not help his position, but he wishes, via me, to apologise for what he has done. He makes it clear he was not the person who set this up.”
He said Buci had “fully engaged” during his time on remand, becoming a respected prisoner.
Judge Richard Mansell KC told Buci: “It’s clear you were playing a significant role.
“It was capable of producing cannabis on an industrial scale.
“Facilities like this are not commonly discovered by the authorities. It was not only substantial in size, but sophisticated.”
Her jailed him for three years and said he would be deported once he had completed his sentence.