Three Men Jailed Over Massive Cannabis Operation in Burton and Beyond
After an 18-month covert probe, Stafford Crown Court sentenced three men on Thursday 28 March for running large-scale cannabis grows across Burton-upon-Trent and surrounding areas.
Big Cannabis Factory Busts and Grow Houses Raided
Between July 2018 and June 2022, the trio were part of a gang setting up professional cannabis farms. The court gave heavy sentences, including:
- Alpha Hoxha, 37, from Derbyshire – five years, four months
- Lee McCarthy, 36, from Sutton Coldfield – four years, four months
- Jamie Loxley, 36, from Tamworth – two years
Police uncovered these sprawling operations after gathering intelligence that showed the men frequently visited their production sites and met with ‘gardeners’ who tended the crops.
Massive Hauls of Cannabis Plants and Cash Discovered
In June 2020, officers raided a factory on Eton Road, Burton-upon-Trent, controlled by Hoxha. They found 70 cannabis plants in the loft — worth around £38,500 on the street.
Earlier, 227 plants were seized from a van linked to the gang. Drug dealers were spotted at McCarthy’s Tamworth home, which acted as a distribution hub for the operation.
When warrants were executed in June 2022, officers found £88,910 in cash hidden inside a hollow marble table at Hoxha’s Derbyshire home. McCarthy’s Tamworth address revealed large quantities of cannabis, digital scales, vacuum-sealed bags labelled with cannabis strains, and blocks of resin stashed under a staircase.
Nearly £100k in Cash Confiscated Alongside Luxury Goods
The investigation also recovered a motorbike and a Rolex watch. All seized items are subject to Proceeds of Crime proceedings across Staffordshire.
“This case is a stark reminder that cannabis cultivation is often tied to organised crime, bringing serious and dangerous risks to our communities,” police said.
These sentences mark a major success in cracking down on sophisticated drug networks in the region.
