Elian Thana, 29, was caught after a van he was travelling in was stopped by police on the M4, and was found to contain equipment for growing cannabis
A man was found with images on his phone of himself at a cannabis factory after police pulled him over with cannabis growing equipment in a van. He was later linked to two cannabis factories which contained plants worth up to £150,000 combined.
Elian Thana, 29, was the passenger in a Volkswagen van pulled over by police on the eastbound carriageway of the M4 near Swansea on December 20 last year. The van appeared to be overloaded and when it was searched, it was found to contain equipment including soil, lights, fertiliser, plant food, power cables, weed matting and irrigation.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday heard the defendant was asked where he was going and he claimed he was delivering items to a house in Swansea but he could not provide the address. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here.
Examination of two mobile phones revealed Thana was linked to two cannabis factories, one in Lady Street in Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, and one in Birmingham.
There were photographs and videos of the cannabis factory on the defendant’s phone.
A search of the property in Lady Street resulted in the discovery of nine rooms containing a total of 201 cannabis plants.
Prosecutor Caitlyn Jones said the potential yield of the plants was between 6kg and 17kg of cannabis.
The street value of the plants was calculated between £24,000 and £88,400.
A search of the property in Birmingham led to 147 cannabis plants, across three rooms, being seized.
The potential yield of the plants was between 4kg and 12kg of cannabis.
The street value was calculated between £16,000 and £62,400.
In his police interview, the defendant claimed his family in Albania owed a £10,000 debt for medical bills but then later said he did not owe any money.
Thana, of Redford Crescent, Bristol, later pleaded guilty to cannabis production.
The court heard the defendant had one previous conviction for cannabis production, for which he was sentenced to eight months imprisonment.
In mitigation, Matthew Murphy said his client came to the UK on a rubber raft and applied for asylum but was unsuccessful.
He said the defendant owed a debt for his entry into the country which led him to taking part in organised crime.
Judge Paul Hobson sentenced Thana to three years imprisonment.
A decision will be made by the Home Office whether the defendant is deported following his sentence.
Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.
