Cannabis farm pair jailed

Two men who were managing a large cannabis farm the Hurdsfield Estate in Macclesfield have been jailed.

Arban Isufaj, 38, and Alket Lameja, 64, appeared at Chester Crown Court and were both sentenced to 15 months in prison.

The pair, both of Snape Road, Macclesfield, had previously pleaded guilty to production of class B drugs (cannabis).

The case against them began on Tuesday 3 October when officers executed a warrant at a warehouse on Snape Road.

Within the property officers discovered a sophisticated cannabis farm containing approximately 330 cannabis plants over two floors.

Isufaj and Lameja were both arrested at the scene and then subsequently charged with producing cannabis.

Following the sentencing Detective Constable James Atherton, who was leading the investigation, said;

“These men were running a professional cannabis farm, this wasn’t simply just a few cannabis plants, the whole building had been fitted out with the thousands of pound worth of equipment to maximise the potential yield.

“This included more than 220 lamps, water butts, wall mounted fans and even extractor fans which were fitted with carbon filters to help minimise the chances of the farm being discovered. In total, it is estimated that the plants found within the building had a street value of between £107,700 and £323,140.

“Thankfully, we were able to seize all of these plants and prevent them from being sold on the streets of Macclesfield, and Isufaj and Lameja are now being held accountable for their actions.

“While this site has now been closed, and all of the equipment destroyed, we urge residents to remain vigilant and anyone who suspects this activity is happening near them to come forward and tell us about it.”

There are a number signs that could indicate that a property is being used as a cannabis farm, including: 

• A strong and sickly sweet smell
• Equipment to grow cannabis being taken into a property, such as lighting and ventilation equipment
• Constantly covered or blocked-off windows – cannabis farms often have constantly closed curtains, black-out blinds or foil coverings
• People coming and going at all hours or neighbours you never see
• Strong and constant lighting day and night
• High levels of heat and condensation – cannabis farms often give off heat and the windows stay misted up
• A constant buzz of ventilation – listen out for a whirring sound as the growers try to create an ideal climate for cannabis plants to grow
• Lots of power cables – offenders often dig underground to lay cables that hook up to things like lamp posts so they do not have to pay for the enormous amounts of electricity they use.

You can report suspected drug related activity to Cheshire Constabulary online at www.cheshire.police.uk/ro/report , or by calling 101.