A debt-ridden dad who claimed he was forced by London gangsters to look after a £93,000 cannabis cultivation has been jailed for 27 months.
Police found 228 plants and bags of herbal cannabis when they raided a house in Larkhall, Lanarkshire. Edgaras Kurganovas, 35, admitted producing cannabis and being concerned in the supply of the Class B drug.
Hamilton Sheriff Court heard police acting on intelligence went to the Ayr Road property in September 2019.
Chloe O'Hara, prosecuting, said: "Entry was forced and the accused was found within.
"Police officers found a cannabis cultivation split between the living room and two bedrooms."
The plants were worth up to £80,000 and the officers also seized two kilos of herbal cannabis with a potential value of £13,000.
Ms O'Hara added: "The accused was interviewed and stated he had been paid to reside in the property for the last three months.
"This was due to him having incurred a debt to unidentified individuals from the London area."
Defence agent Nicky Matteo said dad of two Kurganovas has since moved to Boston, LIncolnshire, where he lives with his partner.
The lawyer said: “He was the type of individual who is preyed on by others in this kind of operation.
“He ticked all the boxes- in debt, out of work and vulnerable.
“He was foolish and to some extent naive.”
Passing sentence on Friday, Sheriff Andrew McIntyre told Kurganovas: “You have no previous convictions but you had an important part in the production of cannabis on a very large scale.
“The court has a responsibility to deter people from becoming involved in this type of activity.
“The sentence has been reduced from three years because you pleaded guilty.”
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