Man jailed after police find 'sophisticated' drugs operation inside house

A NUMBER OF WEAPONS WERE ALSO FOUND AT THE PROPERTY

- By MARK NAYLOR

POLICE found a “sophisticated” cannabis factory with hundreds of plants at various growth stages.

The man who was looking after the plants had an axe next to his bed and there were also five large knives in the house. Adnan Refitaj, 37, who had been living at Chatterton Crescent, Scunthorpe, admitted producing cannabis on February 3.

Benjamin Donnell, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that police executed a search warrant at a semi-detached house in Chatterton Crescent and forced entry. It was immediately apparent that there was a cannabis grow there.

Refitaj was found asleep in a bed at the bottom of the stairs. He was arrested and a mobile phone was seized. There were 353 cannabis plants across four rooms and they were at various stages of growth. There was also a drying room.

"This grow was set up in a sophisticated manner," said Mr Donnell. "There was specialist equipment to ensure a good continuous yield of cannabis.