Jail for man running Nuneaton cannabis farm

Astrit Ismailaj, 26, has been sentenced to nine months in prison.

Author: Molly HookingsPublished 3rd Mar 2023

A man running a cannabis farm in Nuneaton has been put behind bars after the criminal enterprise was uncovered by police.

Astrit Ismailaj, 26, of no fixed abode was charged with producing cannabis.

In January, officers raided a house in Queen Elizabeth Road after concern was raised the farm was a fire risk, to both the house and surrounding properties.

A search of the building uncovered 90 cannabis plants. Three floors had been converted for growing cannabis.

At Warwick Crown Court on Tuesday (28 February), he was handed a prison sentence of nine months.

Following the conclusion of the case, PC Lewis Farmer from Nuneaton Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “This was a professionally run, well-established operation with most of the house being converted to grow cannabis.

“Thanks to intelligence we received from the community, we were able to dismantle the farm and seize the plants and equipment from the scene.

“This type of crime leads to the exploitation of vulnerable people and poses a risk the wider community.

“We hope this outcome serves as a serious warning that anyone looking to make money from selling illegal substances can expect to be pursued by our team, have their operation dismantled, and have their drugs and equipment seized.

“We also hope this result reassures local people that we act on all the information they provide and we are committed to tackling this type of organised crime that has such a negative impact on our communities."

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