Six Albanian men have been sentenced to jail after police uncovered a £450,000 cannabis farm in an abandoned nursing home. Alitor Deda, 30, Andi Teta, 33, Ali Qerfozi, 42, Erijon Gjoka, 21, Edison Markeci, 21, and Agostin Marku, 36, all confessed to cultivating the illegal plants. The former Moorfield House Nursing Home in Leeds was raided by police on December 4, 2020, where the men were employed as “gardeners.” Inside, authorities discovered 811 cannabis plants spread across six rooms, with an additional 27 rooms equipped with various tools and devices for cultivation. According to prosecutor Paul Canfield, the plants had the potential to produce 44kg of cannabis, with a street value of up to £446,000. The equipment used to grow the plants was estimated to be worth up to £45,000. The gang attempted to hide from police in a cellar but were eventually found. Alongside the cannabis farm, officers also found weapons such as baseball bats and machetes, as well as mattresses and a stocked fridge. The electricity supply to the building had been tampered with, bypassing the standard meter system. The men, who were homeless, were arrested and later admitted to producing cannabis. One of the men, Teta, also confessed to possessing cocaine. They claimed they had been recruited for simple tasks and tending to the crops. In their defense, their lawyers argued that they had been coerced into the illegal activities due to their vulnerable situations and hopes for a better life.
Alitor Deda, who is married to an NHS nurse and lived in London, faced difficulties in finding work despite having a National Insurance number and paying taxes. Unfortunately, he fell victim to a scam when he accepted a construction job in Leeds, only to discover that he was actually being forced to work on a cannabis farm. In his defense, his barrister, Imran Khan, explained that Deda had no choice but to work in order to pay off debts for his father’s heart surgery. Khan emphasized that Deda was a young man burdened with a heavy responsibility.
Edison Markeci, who came to the UK for a better life and to support his family, found himself in a similar predicament. He was in the country illegally and had arrived at the property just three days prior to the police bust. Markeci had not received any financial reward for his involvement in the cannabis farm. The court heard that Markeci’s intentions were driven by his desire to provide for his family.
Erijon Gjoka, another defendant, was also paying off debts for his father’s heart surgery. His lawyer highlighted the fact that Gjoka had been coerced into working on the cannabis farm. Gjoka had not been in the UK legally and had only recently arrived at the property. The defense argued that Gjoka had no choice but to engage in this illegal activity due to his circumstances.
Ali Qerfozi, who answered an advert for a “gardener” job, and Andi Teta, who was working to pay off his debt for being transported to the UK illegally, were also involved in the cannabis farm operation. All six defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 16 to 24 months. The judge made it clear that they should expect to be deported once their sentences are served.
Recorder Ian Mullarkey, the presiding judge, described the cannabis farm as a highly-professional and extensive operation. He emphasized that each defendant had entered the UK illegally and knowingly participated in the large-scale cultivation of cannabis. The judge also noted that if the remaining rooms in the property had been utilized for cannabis cultivation, the value of the operation would have been even greater.
Following the sentencing, Sergeant Simon Green, from the Leeds North West Neighbourhood Policing Team, highlighted the significance of dismantling this organized criminal enterprise. He stated that the operation had prevented nearly half a million pounds worth of drugs from reaching the streets, where they would have fueled associated crime and anti-social behavior.
