Three men jailed in connection with Kettering cannabis grow
It follows a raid in December
Last updated 24th Mar 2025
Three men have been sentenced to more than one year in prison after pleading guilty to the production of a Class B drug at a cannabis grow set up inside a residential address in Kettering.
Ergert Ademaj, Klodin Saraci and Fisnik Vata were arrested inside the house in Lawson Street, after the Kettering Neighbourhood Policing Team executed a warrant under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act on December 3 last year.
After forcing entry via the rear French doors, all three men were found upstairs in the smallest bedroom, which appeared to be their living quarters, and were arrested on suspicion of both producing a controlled Class B drug and unlawfully abstracting electricity.
During the search of the three-bedroom end-of-terrace property, 143 plants in various stages of growth were found throughout the address, including in the loft, along with the associated equipment required to produce the cannabis.
Two bedrooms were set up as both nurseries and drying rooms, while there was evidence in the downstairs rooms and conservatory that some of the plants had already been harvested and the electric consumer unit bypassed.
All three were charged with producing a controlled Class B drug and abstracting/use without authority electricity, and appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on December 5, where they were remanded in custody and the case committed to the crown court.
After pleading guilty to the production of cannabis at a previous Northampton Crown Court hearing in January, Ademaj, Saraci and Vata appeared before the same court on February 21 to be sentenced.
Ademaj, aged 37, of no fixed address, was jailed for 18 months and 30-year-old Saraci, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment for the count of producing a Class B drug. Both men were also ordered to pay a £187 surcharge.
Vata, aged 24, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay a £187 surcharge for two counts of producing a Class B drug after being forensically linked to a second cannabis grow in Northumbria.
All three men denied the charge of abstracting/use without authority electricity, which the court accepted, with the count ordered to remain on their files.
Neighbourhood policing officer PC Jason Underwood, who led the investigation, said: “This warrant was executed as a direct result of community intelligence, and I would like to thank those who raised their concerns as this led to the discovery of this cannabis grow.
“People may think that the production of cannabis is a victimless crime, but what they don’t realise is those at the top of the chain make very large sums of money from producing and distributing the drug.
“Tackling and preventing drug harm continues to be one of our main priorities, and this is a prime example of how we can work together to take positive action to disrupt those, often organised crime groups, setting up professional and sophisticated cannabis grows within our communities.
“We will always act on information and concerns raised by members of the public and I would urge anyone who has concerns about drug dealing within their local communities to please keep reporting suspicious activity to us.”