Officers were called to The Circle in Clipstone after the men were spotted carrying what appeared to be cannabis to a van.
When police arrived they inspected a Ford Transit and found a heat lamp and fertiliser that could have been used to grow the class B drug.
A strong smell of cannabis was coming from a house in the street and police moved to investigate.
Inside, they found Illir Hysa, Kleant Kurani, Odysseas Zatsais and Arben Capja, along with more than 200 cannabis plants.
The house had been turned into a sophisticated and well-established drug factory and it was then dismantled by Nottinghamshire Police on 30 March 2021.
Hysa, Kurani, Zatsais and Capja had previously pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis at a previous hearing.
Capja, 28, of Broxtowe Drive in Mansfield and Kurani, 29, of no fixed address, were sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.
Hysa, 30, of The Circle in Clipstone and Zatsais, 28, of no fixed address, were sentenced to three years behind bars.
All four were jailed at a hearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday 13 August 2021.
Inspector Dean Greaves, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a significant cannabis grow that would have been sold on to fund illegal activities.
“Cannabis growing and supply is often linked to other criminal enterprise and serious organised crime – as such we take reports of cannabis grows very seriously and will always investigate reports thoroughly.
“Hysa, Capja, Zatsais and Kurani will now suffer the consequences of their actions and this result sends a strong message to those who break the law in this way.
“I’d encourage anyone who sees anything suspicious in their area to contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or in an emergency, dial 999.
“Local residents and communities really are our eyes and ears and we will always listen and take reports of crime seriously.”
