Trio jailed over 'large and sophisticated' cannabis factory in North Somerset

Three men - one from Wakefield - have been jailed after police officers in North Somerset discovered what they called a ''large and sophisticated' cannabis factory last year.

Gerald Dosku, 26 of Kettlethorpe Road, Wakefield, Keli Bicaku, 35, and Bledar Bardhi, 32, both of no fixed address, appeared at Bristol Crown Court today (Tuesday 7 March).

They all faced a charge of being concerned in the production of cannabis, for which they all pleaded guilty.

They were sentenced to one and a half years each after officers discovered a cannabis factory within a warehouse at the Coates Industrial Estate, in Southfield Road, Nailsea back on December 2, 2022.

Specialist drone units were first on the scene to check it out - with police coming down to investigate the site after receiving a call from the public.

The offenders fled onto the roof of the building in an attempt to evade capture, however the building was quickly surrounded, with the offenders eventually coming down back to earth, where they were arrested and charged the next day.

The court heard the value of the cannabis found had an estimated street price of almost £200,000.

Officer in the case, Michael Clarke, said: "This was a large and sophisticated set up. Drugs, and the crimes affiliated with them, have the ability to cause a great deal of harm and even ruin lives.

"It is great to have been able to disrupt their criminal operation, thanks to the sharp eyes of the local community.

"We would like to thank our colleagues in the drone unit, as well as support from the neighbourhood policing team, for their support during the operation.

"We hope this sentence will serve as a warning to anyone involved in drug production and drug dealing."

If you believe someone in your community is linked to drug production or dealing, you can report this to the police.

First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.