Four illegal immigrants who were were found at cannabis factory in Luton last October were jailed on Tuesday, March 2, 2021.
The four men from Albania who had been trafficked to the UK, were caught when neighbours became suspicious as they emptied property from the house in Blundell Road.
Police were alerted and on arrival officers went inside and discovered a cannabis factory in operation.
Cannabis plants were growing in rooms throughout the house.
All told, 140 plants were found to be growing and Luton crown court heard the plants could have produced cannabis worth tens of thousands of pounds.
In court today Ermal Plaku 29 who was living at the property and employed as a ‘gardener’ to tend the plants, pleaded guilty to producing a controlled drug of Class B.
Alongside him in the dock, Ilias Lamas, 35 of Dallow Road, Luton, Veiz Agalliu, 28 and Endri Benaj, 27 both of Humber Road, Coventry pleaded guilty to being concerned in the production of a class B drug.
As well as finding the drugs, Agalliu had £900 on him, Lamas was found with £600 and Plaku had £90, all of which was seized by the officers.
The court was told checks revealed all four were illegally in the UK having been brought here by traffickers.
In Plaku’s case he had paid out thousands of pounds to the people smugglers and as a result had a £20,000 debt which he was seeking to repay by working as a gardener at the house.
Agalliu has also paid out thousands and his debt to the smuggling fang was £14,000 which he was trying to repay by working for them. Both Lamas and Banaj were said to be low down in the pecking order.
Recorder Adrian Elissa QC jailed Banaj, Agalliu and Lamas for eight months each.
Plaku who had admitted his guilt at an earlier state than the other three was jailed for seven months.
The recorder ordered the destruction of the drugs and the drug paraphernalia found at the house and ordered the money found on the men be confiscated.
