Three sentenced in investigation into £4.5m cannabis farms in Leeds
Police seized over 7,500 cannabis plants from various addresses in Harehills
Three men have been jailed for their roles in a cannabis growing operation discovered in Harehills, which was worth an estimated £4.5m.
Police uncovered a total of 75 cannabis farms in residential properties in 2023, producing almost 7,500 plants amounting to 458kg of cannabis.
The three men sentenced posed as property managers in order to rip off legitimate landlords and use their properties to grow drugs.
The trio were arrested in Leeds and Coventry and were charged with producing a Class B drug and acquiring, using or possessing criminal property.
At Leeds Crown Court all three admitted to the charge of permitting premises to be used for the production of a controlled drug.
Mirel Neatu, 37, of Brackenwood Drive, Leeds, was sentenced to 32 months in prison.
Marius Nedelcu, aged 40, of Signet Square, Coventry, was jailed for 28 months.
Seyan Debnath, aged 48, of Lupton Avenue, Leeds, was given a suspended 21-month prison term, with 300 hours of unpaid work and a 12-week night-time curfew.
Inspector Alastair Nicholls, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “The large-scale production of cannabis by organised crime groups in residential properties in Harehills is an issue that fuels wider crime and anti-social behaviour in the area and is something we have had significant success in tackling since the CommUnity Harehills project was launched two years ago.
“These men have been convicted over their roles in providing properties for crime gangs who were producing millions of pounds worth of the drug on an industrial scale.
"These activities also caused substantial financial loss to the legitimate landlords who had to repair their properties from the extensive damage caused."