Endri Gjiza, 24 and Ronaldo Rexha, 24, both of no fixed address and Allaman Zuna, 27 of Bellevue Terrace appeared at Southampton Crown Court yesterday (11 April) having previously been charged with producing a controlled Class B drug – namely cannabis in February.
They were all sentenced to 17 months in prison following the hearing.
Officers attended and searched a commercial premises in Radcliffe Road on Thursday 16 February just after 2.30pm.
A search of the address revealed a large quantity of cannabis being grown under high powered lights – in excess of 230 plants at various levels of maturity.
Dozens of bin bags filled with cannabis were seized, believed to have a street value of between £66,000 and £200,000.
PSI Jordan Clayton from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Western Investigations team said: “We want to stress that any production of drugs is linked to hidden harm – which is why tackling the issue is one of our main priorities.
“These are often run by organised crime gangs, who are likely to engage in very serious violence involving weapons, such as firearms. They may also take advantage of vulnerable people, exploiting them or making them work in servitude.
“The electrical requirement to cultivate drugs is also very dangerous and can be a huge fire risk – putting neighbouring properties, and other peoples’ lives in danger.
“By dismantling this cannabis factory and putting Gjiza, Rexha and Zuna behind bars, we have disrupted a local drug supply network and made Southampton a safer place for people to live and work.
“I hope this sentence encourages people to come forward and report information about any potential cannabis cultivation or drug supply issues they may be aware of or have suspicions about in their neighbourhood.
“Every call you make to us is logged and reviewed by our local Neighbourhood Policing Teams and helps us build up a bigger picture about what might be happening in your community. This allows us to take robust action and prevent your neighbourhoods from harm.”
