A cannabis factory containing more than 400 plants was discovered by police and was being tended by an Albanian man who had come to the UK illegally. The value of the cannabis was valued up to £182,000.
Radjol Hatia, 25, was arrested at a two-storey mid-terrace house in Neath at 9.30am on February 10 where they found a large cultivation operation including lights, fans, and abstraction equipment. There were further cannabis plants in two upstairs bedrooms of the house in Pany yr Heol, Penrhiwtyn, and a small nursery of plants on the landing.
A sentencing hearing at Swansea Crown Court on Friday heard Hatia was arrested and told police he had been living at the property for six weeks and was tasked with watering the plants. He said he had entered the UK illegally on the back of a lorry two to three months ago and was working to pay off his "trafficking debt". The defendant was found in possession of keys to the house, a mobile phone, and £95 in cash.
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Prosecutor Jim Davis said a total of 415 cannabis plants were discovered of which 182 were mature plants with female flowering heads and 233 were seedlings. He said the potential yield of the crops, if grown to full maturity, could produce between 12kg and 35kg of drugs. The potential value of the drugs was estimated to be between £48,000 and £182,000. Mr Davis said: "This was production on a commercial scale."
Hatia, of no fixed abode, later pleaded guilty to production of a controlled drug of Class B. The court heard he had no previous convictions. In mitigation Steve Burnell said his client was single with no children and his parents, brothers, and sisters reside in Albania. He said the defendant's involvement in the enterprise was to simply water the plants in order to pay off his debt.
Recorder Christian Jowett sentenced Hatia to a total of 12 months imprisonment. Due to his illegal immigration status he will be deported once he has served his sentence.
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