An Albanian cannabis farmer has been jailed and potentially faces deportation after plants with a street value of up to £126,000 were found in a County Durham home.
Illegal immigrant, Endri Nikollari was found hiding behind a fridge in a back yard when police raided a home in Easington Colliery on May 6, this year. A sophisticated cannabis farm was found inside the property and Nikollari admitted he had been tending to the plants in order to pay off a £25,000 debt he owed to the people who smuggled him into the UK.
On Tuesday, the 20-year-old appeared at Durham Crown Court via link from HMP Durham to be sentenced for being concerned in the production of cannabis. He pleaded guilty to the single charge at the hearing and required an interpreter throughout proceedings.
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Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, said Nikollari was living in the UK illegally when officers went to an address on Seaside Lane, Easington, and "located a sophisticated cannabis grow". He said: "A large number of small plants were found in propagation machines. Officers entered the upstairs bedrooms and in all five rooms a large number of fully grown female plants with flowered heads were found. Insulation, ventilation fans and lights had been installed and the production was on a commercial scale."
Mr Dodds said that 150 plants were discovered, capable of producing 30g to 85g of cannabis with a potential street value of between £42,000 and £126,000. He said: "The defendant was located in the yard outside hiding behind a fridge. He was interviewed by police and maintained that he had been growing cannabis as a gardener and said he was an illegal immigrant. He said he was working to pay off a £25,000 debt to the people who had brought him to the UK. He accepted the electrics had been bypassed but said he was not responsible for that."
The court heard that Nikollari had been living in the kitchen area of the property and travel documents and a passport he obtained while in the UK were discovered alongside £100 in a wallet.
Martin Scarborough, defending, said Nikollari had no previous convictions or cautions and said there would have been a "significant financial advantage" to the defendant and his family to paying off his debt. He said: "That debt meant, effectively, this young man was engaged through some pressure and had no influence over others in the chain. It was an isolated incident and he is vulnerable and was exploited to some extent."
Sentencing Nikollari, of no fixed address, Recorder Palmer jailed him for 16 months and said he could potentially be deported following the serving of his sentence.
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