Man jailed after he was found hiding in makeshift bedroom inside £150,000 cannabis factory in Yorkshire

Arjan Imeraj was found hiding in a makeshift bedroom at the back of a £150,000 cannabis factory which was discovered in Kirk Sandall, in Doncaster, on May 2.

South Yorkshire Police officers raided the premises after a tip-off from a concerned member of the public regarding an industrial unit in the area.

The force used a drone to fly over the area and pinpoint the area where they believed cannabis was being grown, and then got a warrant to search the property.

Inside, officers found 150 mature cannabis plants, which would have been worth up to £150,000 on the streets.

Imeraj, 45, of no fixed abode, was jailed for two years at Sheffield Crown Court on June 6 after pleading guilty to producing the controlled Class B drug cannabis.

Inspector Alison Carr said: "We always thoroughly investigate queries and concerns raised by members of the public and this particular tip-off led to the discovery of a sophisticated cannabis grow.

"Cannabis isn't a harmless drug and large operations like the one discovered in Kirk Sandall are often linked to organised crime groups (OCGs) involved in exploitation, human trafficking and very serious violence.

"Shutting these factories down helps to dismantle the influence and operations of these OCGs and I want to urge the public to continue feeding us with intelligence so we can execute these drug warrants and bring criminals to justice.

"If you think cannabis if being grown in a property or premises near you, then please let us know so we can investigate. You only need to look at this example to see the results we can deliver and we know that we are stronger and better at fighting crime when we work in coordination with our communities."