Albanian university student tourist became ‘resident gardener’ at large North East cannabis farm https://www.allforgardening.com/1892496/albanian-university-student-tourist-became-resident-gardener-at-large-north-east-cannabis-farm/ #CannabisDrying #CannabisFarm #CannabisPlants #CultivatingCannabis #EdwardBindloss #garden #gardener #gardening #IvanhoeCrescent #MusaQaushi #ResidentGardener #TouristVisa
#cannabis-farm — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #cannabis-farm, aggregated by home.social.
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RESOLVEN: Crushed! Van used to dump cannabis farm waste in Neath Valley forest is destroyed — after five prosecuted
A van used to dump cannabis farm waste in a Neath Valley forest has met a fitting end — in the jaws of a crusher.
The white Ford Transit tipper was forfeited to Neath Port Talbot Council by the court, and was destroyed on Wednesday.
It comes after five people were fined a combined £6,822 at Swansea Magistrates Court over the dumping of the waste on land at Rheola Forestry, near Resolven, owned by Natural Resources Wales.
The Ford Transit tipper forfeited to Neath Port Talbot Council before it was crushed.Investigators were led to the culprits after correspondence was found within the dumped waste — with CCTV, witness accounts and what the council described as “extensive questioning” completing the case.
Keiron Powell, 29, and Darcy Thomas, 30, both of Greenwood Road, Neath, pleaded guilty to unlawfully depositing controlled waste and transporting waste without a waste carrier’s licence, and were each ordered to pay £1,830.
Stephen John Powell, 54, also of Greenwood Road, admitted knowing his vehicle was being used to unlawfully deposit controlled waste, and was ordered to pay £812.
The dumped cannabis farm waste left on a forestry track in the Rheola forest, near Resolven. Image: Neath Port Talbot CouncilIan Jenkins, 39, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to failing in his duty of care to ensure waste was disposed of lawfully, and was ordered to pay £944.
Anthony Jones, 32, of Wheatley Road, Neath, denied the charges but was found guilty at trial of failing to ensure the waste was disposed of lawfully — and was ordered to pay £1,406. Another man who stood trial alongside him was found not guilty.
All five were sentenced on 21 May, with the court ordering the tipper to be handed to the council.
The flattened remains of the tipper among other crushed vehicles.Cllr Scott Jones, the council’s cabinet member for streetscene, said: “We have beautiful areas of forestry and countryside throughout the Neath Port Talbot county and people should be able to enjoy it responsibly without encountering dangerous deposits like this.
“We hope this sends a strong message that regardless of how minor you think your role is in the illegal disposal of waste, you will still be held responsible.”
The crushed van’s shattered windscreen.James Roseblade, land management senior officer for Natural Resources Wales, said illegal waste disposal continued to be “a serious and unacceptable blight on our communities, our environment, and our economy”.
“Waste crime takes many forms, operating at different scales, and costs businesses, landowners and taxpayers millions of pounds each year. It also causes significant harm to the environment, human health and wildlife,” he said.
“We welcome the court’s decision in this case and hope it sends a clear message that waste-related crime will not be tolerated and will be punished — and Natural Resources Wales and its partners will continue to take appropriate enforcement action against those who break the law.”
Footage released by the council shows the bags being put out at the kerbside and loaded into the tipper — along with the waste in situ at Rheola Forestry, and the van’s final moments in the crusher.
WATCH: Footage released by Neath Port Talbot Council shows the bags being left at the kerbside and loaded into the van — along with the waste dumped at Rheola Forestry, and the moment the forfeited tipper is crushed. Video: Neath Port Talbot CouncilRelated stories from Swansea Bay News
RESOLVEN: Five fined more than £6,800 after cannabis farm waste dumped in Neath Valley forest
#Cannabis #CannabisFarm #flyTipping #flytipping #NaturalResourcesWales #Neath #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #NeathValley #Resolven #RheolaForest
The full story of the prosecutions over the waste discovered at Rheola Forestry. -
RESOLVEN: Five fined more than £6,800 after cannabis farm waste dumped in Neath Valley forest
Five people have been ordered to pay nearly £7,000 after the remains of a cannabis farm were fly-tipped on forestry land near Resolven.
The waste was dumped illegally in the Rheola forest in the Neath Valley, on land owned by Natural Resources Wales.
It was a document left among the rubbish — along with CCTV, witness accounts and other evidence — that helped investigators track down those responsible.
Following a prosecution brought by Neath Port Talbot Council, four men and a woman were sentenced at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on 21 May.
Between them they were ordered to pay a total of £6,822 in fines, costs and victim surcharges.
Keiron Powell, 29, of Greenwood Road, Neath, was ordered to pay £1,830 after admitting illegally depositing controlled waste.
Darcy Thomas, 30, also of Greenwood Road, Neath, was ordered to pay the same amount for the same offence.
Stephen John Powell, 54, again of Greenwood Road, Neath, was ordered to pay £812 after admitting being in control of the vehicle used to dump the waste.
Anthony Jones, 32, of Wheatley Road, Neath, was ordered to pay £1,406 after being found guilty of failing to ensure the waste was disposed of lawfully.
Ian Jenkins, 39, of no fixed abode, was ordered to pay £944 for the same duty-of-care offence.
A sixth man, who had denied wrongdoing, stood trial alongside Jones and was found not guilty.
The court also ordered the tipper truck used to carry the waste to be forfeited to the council, which is now assessing the vehicle and may have it crushed.
The dumped material was the spent contents of a cannabis grow — black fabric planters, growing medium and other equipment — rather than household rubbish.
The waste included black fabric planters and growing medium used in cannabis cultivation. Image: Neath Port Talbot CouncilCabinet member for streetscene, Cllr Scott Jones, said people should be able to enjoy the county’s forests and countryside without coming across dangerous dumped waste.
He said the case sent a strong message that anyone involved in illegal waste disposal would be held responsible, however minor they believed their role to be.
James Roseblade, land management senior officer for Natural Resources Wales, said illegal waste disposal remained a serious blight on communities, the environment and the economy.
He said tackling it was one of the organisation’s highest priorities, and welcomed the court’s decision as a clear signal that waste crime would not be tolerated.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Neath Port Talbot crushes fly-tippers’ vehicles as crackdown intensifies
The council’s wider clampdown on illegal dumping, including crushing offenders’ vehicles.NEATH: Fly-tipper ordered to pay £5,000+ after being caught by hidden camera
A hidden camera caught a series of dumping incidents in Neath.NEATH: Man sentenced after knives and household waste fly-tipped in town hotspot
#Cannabis #CannabisFarm #flyTipping #flytipping #NaturalResourcesWales #Neath #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #NeathValley #Resolven #RheolaForest
Another recent council prosecution over dumped waste. -
LLANELLI: Man trafficked from Albania jailed over £82k North Dock cannabis factory
A man who was trafficked into Britain and put to work tending a cannabis factory has been jailed after police uncovered the operation in a flat overlooking Llanelli’s North Dock.
Mateo Allmunca, 24, was sentenced to two years after Dyfed-Powys Police found 89 cannabis plants spread across three rooms of the property.
Officers executed a warrant at the flat on 25 March, where they were met by the overwhelming smell of cannabis.
Inside, they found the plants alongside lighting, ventilation and other growing equipment. The electricity meter had been bypassed, and the crop was valued at up to £82,000.
Allmunca was not at the flat during the raid, but he was later identified after officers found a key to the property in his pocket and neighbours recognised him as the man who regularly came and went from the address.
When he was stopped, he claimed he was only in the area to “visit the beach.”
After his arrest, he admitted he had been working as a gardener for the criminal gang that had smuggled him into the country.
He told officers he owed the group £20,000 for arranging his journey from Albania, and had been repaying the debt at £3,000 a month by tending the plants.
He said threats had been made against him and his family, and that he had been moved from Birmingham to Llanelli shortly before the raid.
The court heard Allmunca had no previous convictions in the UK and had left Albania out of desperation, having earned as little as 200 euros a month before being recruited into the operation.
His barrister said he had “little or no influence” over the wider enterprise.
Recorder Mark Powell KC said Allmunca had entered the UK as an economic migrant and had been exploited by the same gang that brought him here.
Giving credit for his guilty plea, the judge imposed a 24-month sentence. Allmunca will serve 40 per cent of that term before being released on licence.
He was told he is likely to be deported once his sentence has been served.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Cannabis farm discovered at disused Llanelli town centre shop
A man admitted the offence a day after 350 plants were found at an empty Llanelli shop.SWANSEA: Man found hiding in cupboard jailed after police uncover 539-plant cannabis farm in Uplands
A grower jailed after officers found plants across eight rooms of a Swansea property.Carmarthenshire cannabis clan ordered to pay back £1m
#Cannabis #CannabisFarm #DyfedPowysPolice #Llanelli #ModernSlavery #NorthDock
How a rural Carmarthenshire operation was stripped of more than £1m in criminal profits. -
GORSEINON: More than 130 cannabis plants seized after South Wales Police raid Danybryn Road address
South Wales Police officers raided an address on Danybryn Road in Gorseinon on Tuesday after receiving a report about suspected cannabis cultivation.
Inside, they found a cannabis farm containing in excess of 130 plants. The plants have since been seized and destroyed.
Officers also discovered that the electricity supply at the property had been tampered with — a common feature of cannabis cultivation operations, which require significant power to run the lighting, heating and ventilation systems needed to keep plants growing.
National Grid attended the address to assess the risk and make the property safe. South Wales Police said the tampered supply had posed a risk not only to the address itself but to neighbouring properties.
Enquiries are ongoing, with assistance from crime scene investigators, to identify a possible suspect. No arrests have been announced at this stage.
The find came less than 24 hours after the initial report was received — a turnaround officers from the Swansea and Neath Port Talbot team highlighted as an example of how quickly community intelligence can be acted upon.
It is the latest in a string of cannabis farm discoveries across the region in recent weeks. Just days ago, a man was jailed after police uncovered a 539-plant cannabis farm in a Swansea Uplands property — with the suspect found hiding in a cupboard when officers arrived at the address.
A cannabis factory containing up to 120 plants was also dismantled in Briton Ferry after neighbours tipped off police — another case where community intelligence led directly and quickly to a raid. As with the Gorseinon discovery, electricity at the Briton Ferry address had also been interfered with.
The problem is not confined to residential properties. Officers previously discovered a secret cannabis factory inside the former Marks and Spencer building in Neath town centre, where an industrial-scale growing operation had been set up. One man was arrested following that raid.
The Neath discovery highlighted how abandoned commercial premises — which may go uninspected for long periods — can also be targeted by those looking to set up growing operations away from public view.
The electricity tampering found at the Danybryn Road address is a particular concern for authorities. Bypassed electricity meters and illegally rewired supplies can cause fires and pose serious risks to neighbouring properties — often without the knowledge of nearby residents.
Police have previously warned landlords across the region to be vigilant after a cannabis factory was found inside a rented Sandfields property, leaving the owner facing significant repair costs after the factory was discovered.
Officers urged property owners to carry out regular inspections and to look out for signs including blacked-out windows, unusual smells, condensation and high electricity use — all of which can indicate a cannabis cultivation operation inside a property.
The frequency of finds across the region reflects a broader pattern of sustained enforcement activity by South Wales Police against cannabis cultivation, with community tip-offs proving a consistent and effective source of intelligence.
Anyone who suspects cannabis cultivation is taking place in their neighbourhood can report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or contact South Wales Police on 101.
More on cannabis farms in south Wales
Man found hiding in cupboard jailed after police uncover 539-plant cannabis farm in Uplands
One of the largest recent finds in Swansea — and the suspect was discovered in a cupboard.Cannabis factory with up to 120 plants discovered in Briton Ferry after neighbours tip off police
Another community tip-off that led directly and quickly to a raid and seizure.Neath cops bust secret cannabis factory in abandoned M&S
An industrial-scale operation discovered in an empty town centre building.Police warn landlords after cannabis factory found in Swansea rental home
#Cannabis #CannabisFarm #Gorseinon #SouthWalesPolice
What property owners need to know — and the signs to look out for. -
SWANSEA: Man found hiding in cupboard jailed after police uncover 539-plant cannabis farm in Uplands
A man has been jailed after he was found hiding in a cupboard when police raided a cannabis farm in the Uplands area of Swansea.
Antonjo Kodheli, 42, of no fixed abode, was discovered inside the property on Bryn Y Môr Crescent when officers conducted a search of the address.
A total of 539 plants were found growing across eight rooms in the property.
Kodheli pleaded guilty to being concerned in the production of a controlled drug of Class B and was sentenced to eight months in prison.
A video released by South Wales Police shows the moment officers discovered Kodheli concealed in the cupboard during the raid.
https://youtu.be/AYQK1iz1Hqk?si=3XxY04f33H3jqfCF
Sergeant Luke Tucker said it was “incredibly disappointing” to continue finding properties in Swansea being used for illegal drug cultivation.
“Antonjo Kodheli is the latest in a long line of people who have found that entering the illegal drug trade is not all it cracked up to be,” he said. “While some may argue that there are more dangerous drugs, the money generated by cannabis farms is very commonly then funnelled towards even more serious criminal activity, and that is why we will always take action.”
#Cannabis #CannabisFarm #SouthWalesPolice #Uplands -
BRITON FERRY: Cannabis factory with up to 120 plants discovered after neighbours tip off police
A cannabis factory containing up to 120 plants has been discovered at a property in Briton Ferry – after local residents tipped off police about suspicious activity.
Officers from South Wales Police obtained an emergency search warrant and forced entry to the property on Middleton Street over the weekend.
The scale of the operation became immediately apparent. South Wales Police said the smell of cannabis could be detected strongly from the street outside before officers had even entered the building.
Inside, officers found between 100 and 120 cannabis plants arranged in a commercial-scale growing operation.
Nobody was present at the property when officers arrived.
South Wales Police also said that electrical wiring at the property had been tampered with.
The force said the illegal modification posed a significant danger – not only to the property itself but to neighbouring homes on Middleton Street.
Illicit cannabis farms frequently involve bypassed electricity meters and unauthorised rewiring, which can cause fires and put residents in surrounding properties at serious risk.
South Wales Police said: “Upon entry, they were greeted with between 100 and 120 cannabis plants forming a grow which could be smelled strongly from the street. Electrical wiring had also been tampered with, posing a danger to the property and neighbouring properties.”
The cannabis factory was dismantled by officers and all plants seized.
South Wales Police confirmed an investigation is currently ongoing.
The discovery followed a tip-off from the local community. South Wales Police said officers had acted “upon information from the local community” when obtaining the emergency warrant.
It is not the first time officers have uncovered a large-scale cannabis operation in the area.
Police previously raided a secret cannabis factory hidden inside an abandoned Marks & Spencer store in Neath, while two men were jailed after a cannabis factory was discovered in Swansea.
South Wales Police has also warned landlords specifically about the risk of cannabis factories being established in rental properties without their knowledge.
Anyone with information about suspected drug activity in their area can contact South Wales Police on 101, or report it anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Information can also be submitted online at south-wales.police.uk.
#BritonFerry #Cannabis #CannabisFarm #SouthWalesPolice -
Police warn landlords after cannabis factory found in Swansea rental home
Officers were called to the address this week and found the remnants of a large-scale growing operation hidden inside the home. The property had been rented out for six months, during which time the landlord made no visits and held no written tenancy agreement.
Police say the landlord was first approached by a man he did not know, who offered cash and a down‑payment to secure the property. All further contact was made by text message. No identification, references or paperwork were taken before the keys were handed over.
The landlord told officers he had concerns during the tenancy but did not report them to local PCSOs or police before discovering the damage.
PC Scott Pearson, South Wales Police, said illegal activity had gone unnoticed because basic checks were not carried out.
“Due to not properly checking and vetting the new tenants along with missed opportunities to follow up via regular visits, it is clear that the illegal activity was not known about or recognised,” he said.
He warned that the consequences were now severe.
“As the above was not acted upon, the landlord now faces significant costs running into the tens of thousands of pounds for remedial work and unpaid utility bills.”
Pearson said rental legislation exists to protect both landlords and tenants, and failing to follow it can leave property owners exposed to serious financial loss.
He urged anyone with concerns about suspicious activity in a rented home to contact police or Crimestoppers.
“If you have any concerns of illegal activity in one of your properties or at a property near you, please share these concerns with the police or Crimestoppers,” he said.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Swansea drug line boss jailed after police find SIM cards hidden in waistband
Officers uncovered a county lines operation after finding multiple SIM cards concealed during a stop.Kidwelly cannabis farm uncovered after police find photos on man’s phone
A routine phone search led officers to a fully equipped cannabis grow inside a rural property.Sandfields pair jailed for supplying Class A drugs
Two dealers were jailed after police linked them to drug supply across the Sandfields area.Trouble tenants kicked out as council shuts homes and clamps down on chaos across Carmarthenshire
#cannabisFactory #CannabisFarm #landlord #rentalProperty #Sandfields #SouthWalesPolice #Swansea
Councils took action to close problem properties linked to crime, disorder and anti‑social behaviour. -
Kidwelly cannabis farm uncovered after police find photos on man’s phone
Elian Thana, 29, an Albanian national who arrived in the UK on a rubber boat and later had his asylum claim refused, told the court he became involved in organised crime to repay debts linked to his journey.
Police pulled over a Volkswagen van on the eastbound M4 near Swansea on December 20 last year after noticing it appeared overloaded. Inside, officers found soil, lights, fertiliser, irrigation kit and other equipment commonly used to grow cannabis.
Thana, who was travelling as a passenger, claimed he was delivering the items to a house in Swansea but couldn’t give officers an address.
When police examined two mobile phones seized from him, they found photographs and videos showing Thana inside two cannabis factories — one in Lady Street, Kidwelly, and another in Birmingham.
A raid on the Kidwelly property uncovered nine rooms packed with 201 cannabis plants. Prosecutors told Cardiff Crown Court the potential yield was between 6kg and 17kg, with a street value of £24,000 to £88,400.
A second search at the Birmingham site uncovered 147 plants across three rooms, worth up to £62,400.
Thana, of Redford Crescent, Bristol, later admitted cannabis production. The court heard he already had a previous conviction for the same offence.
In interview, he gave conflicting accounts about owing money, at one point claiming his family in Albania had a £10,000 medical debt, before later saying he owed nothing.
Judge Paul Hobson jailed him for three years. The Home Office will now decide whether he should be deported after serving his sentence.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Tumble man jailed for ten and a half years for child sex offences
A Carmarthenshire offender receives a lengthy sentence following a major investigation.Sandfields pair jailed for supplying Class A drugs
Two dealers are locked up after police uncover a Class A supply operation.Wife and lover jailed for 19 years each after plotting to murder her husband in armed caravan ambush
A shocking murder plot ends in long prison sentences for both conspirators.Shots fired near horses spark safety row in Fforest
#Albania #asylumSeekers #CannabisFarm #DyfedPowysPolice #Kidwelly
A rural community raises concerns after reports of gunfire close to grazing animals. -
Carmarthenshire cannabis clan ordered to pay back £1m
Edward and Linda McCann, aged 65 and 63, along with their son Daniel, 40, were hauled before Swansea Crown Court for a Proceeds of Crime hearing — and ordered to hand over £1,091,330.61 in cash, property and luxury assets.
The trio ran a sophisticated cannabis factory in Blaenllain, near Whitland, hidden inside a barn rigged with grow rooms, industrial ovens, oil extraction gear and drying racks. Police raided the site in October 2020, uncovering 202 plants, 80kg of product, and £10,000 in cash — plus a cannabis-infused chocolate bar on the kitchen table.
Industrial cannabis lab uncovered in Blaenllain barn — ovens, presses and oil extraction gear seized.
(Image: Dyfed Powys Police)Young cannabis plants growing in humidity domes — part of the McCann family’s rural drug setup.
(Image: Dyfed Powys Police)Mature cannabis plants under lights and fans — Carmarthenshire factory rigged for industrial-scale production.
(Image: Dyfed Powys Police)Drying racks filled with harvested cannabis — seized in Dyfed-Powys Police raid.
(Image: Dyfed Powys Police)Cannabis grow room with reflective insulation and hanging lights — part of £4.9m operation near Whitland.
(Image: Dyfed Powys Police)“They thought they could hide in the countryside — they were wrong”
Detective Chief Inspector Rhys Jones said:
“The McCann family picked out this property thinking they could come to a rural, secluded spot and go unnoticed. They were mistaken.”
He called the raid “one of the biggest single warrants the force has carried out to date,” and praised officers for gathering intelligence from even the most remote communities.
All three were jailed for conspiracy to produce and supply cannabis, with sentences ranging from six years and seven months to eight years and six months.
Now, thanks to a financial probe, the family must also surrender assets including two properties, a Mercedes, Porsche, Harley Davidson and jewellery.
Detective Sergeant Owen Lock said:
“We’ve taken their prison sentences one step further — making sure they pay back the profits and hand over the assets. You cannot profit from crime.”
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Neath cops bust secret cannabis factory in abandoned M&S
Police uncover industrial-scale grow setup in town centre — officers say it could’ve been South Wales’ biggest ever.Police raid huge cannabis farm in Neath
South Wales Police seize hundreds of plants in coordinated raid targeting organised crime.Over £860,000 of cannabis seized in one week
Dyfed-Powys and South Wales Police join forces in multi-site crackdown across Llanelli and Kidwelly.Two men jailed after Swansea cannabis factory raid
Pair sentenced after police uncover large-scale grow in city centre flat.More Proceeds of Crime stories →
Browse the latest cases where criminals are forced to pay back illicit profits.#Blaenllain #Cannabis #CannabisFarm #DyfedPowysPolice #proceedsOfCrime #Whitland
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Neath cops bust secret cannabis factory in abandoned M&S
Officers swooped on the former Marks & Spencer store on Green Street, which has stood empty since May, after locals tipped off the Neighbourhood Policing Team about suspicious goings-on behind the boarded-up windows.
A 34-year-old man was spotted acting shiftily near the site and was arrested on the spot for burglary. But what came next stunned even seasoned officers.
Inside the cavernous building, cops uncovered a sprawling network of commercial rooms rigged for industrial-scale cannabis cultivation — complete with ducting, filtration units, and enough power cabling to light up half the town. No drugs were found, but police say the setup was “days away” from going live.
The suspect was further arrested on suspicion of being involved in the production of cannabis and remains in custody.
Police uncover industrial-scale cannabis infrastructure in Green Street raid — days away from activation.
(Image: South Wales Police)Ventilation ducts and filtration units found inside the abandoned M&S — part of a suspected £million grow
(Image: South Wales Police)Construction debris and cannabis prep gear litter the floor of the former Neath M&S store.
(Image: South Wales Police)Tow truck removes van linked to suspected cannabis operation at Neath’s old M&S — one man arrested.
(Image: South Wales Police)“Could’ve been South Wales’ biggest ever grow”
Inspector Ryan Davies said the bust was “a textbook example of community intelligence and rapid police action,” adding:
“This could’ve become the largest cannabis factory South Wales has ever seen — worth millions in criminality and exploiting vulnerable people to take the risk while others reap the rewards.”
He praised residents for their support during the high-profile raid, which unfolded in broad daylight in the heart of Neath’s shopping district.
“We acted fast, and we shut it down before it started. That’s a win for the town.”
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Police raid huge cannabis farm in Neath
South Wales Police uncover a large cannabis factory in Neath during a major operation.Twelve men arrested in cannabis raids in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot
A dozen suspects detained in coordinated raids targeting organised crime groups.Over £860,000 of cannabis seized in one week
Police crackdown nets huge haul across Llanelli, Burry Port and Kidwelly.Two men jailed after Swansea cannabis factory raid
Pair sentenced following discovery of a cannabis factory in Swansea city centre.More cannabis news →
Browse the latest Swansea Bay News coverage of cannabis raids and prosecutions.#burglary #Cannabis #CannabisFarm #drugs #featured #GreenStreet #MarksAndSpencer #Neath #SouthWalesPolice
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Police uncover 300 cannabis plants in former Maesteg bank
The building, which closed as a bank in May 2017, was entered by officers following intelligence from the local community about suspicious activity at the property. When police searched the premises, they found the large-scale cannabis grow but no individuals were present at the time.
Police remain at the scene this afternoon, securing the premises and continuing their investigation.
Community intelligence leads to action
A spokesperson for South Wales Police Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil and Bridgend said the discovery highlighted the importance of community information. They added: “Community tips can lead to positive action such as this, so please get in touch if you have concerns.”
Part of wider crackdown on cannabis factories
The raid is the latest in a series of operations targeting cannabis production across the Maesteg and wider South Wales area.
In recent months, officers have seized cannabis with a potential street value of more than £250,000 in a series of raids in the Llynfi Valley, many of which have been linked to organised criminal groups. Police have warned that cannabis factories are often connected to wider criminality, including people trafficking and violence used to protect the sites.
Ongoing investigation
No arrests have yet been confirmed in connection with the Talbot Street discovery. Officers are urging anyone with information about drug production in their community to report it via the South Wales Police website or by calling 101.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Roof-jumping Trebanos cannabis growers jailed
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Calif. cannabis farm breaks silence weeks after deadly ICE raid – SFGate
FILE: A protestor flees as Customs and Border Protection officers fire chemical agents into the crowd during a raid at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, Calif., July 10, 2025. BLAKE FAGAN / AFP via Getty ImagesCANNABIS
Calif. cannabis farm breaks silence weeks after deadly ICE raid
By Lester Black, Cannabis editor, Aug 4, 2025
Glass House Brands released its first public comment Monday since the California company faced a violent raid from federal authorities last month that left one man dead and hundreds arrested.
On July 10, federal agents searched two of the company’s Southern California cultivation facilities — one in Ventura County and one in Santa Barbara County — in an operation that quickly descended into chaos. Officers fired tear gas inside the facilities and searched for immigrants as hundreds of protesters gathered outside to protest the Donald Trump administration’s action. One worker fell from a green house and later died, marking the first known death in Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Following the raid, the Department of Homeland Security announced it had arrested at least 361 people suspected of being in the country illegally, as well as 14 “migrant children,” although the agency hasn’t shared any court documentation behind those figures.
Glass House, one of California’s largest legal cannabis companies, had not issued any public comment in the weeks following the raid other than a post to X on July 11 confirming it was being raided.
On Monday, the company broke its silence with a news release that outlined details of the operation, including that nine company employees were detained or arrested. The company said any other people arrested would have been employed by farm labor companies that provide employees for the farm, which is a common practice at agricultural facilities.
AI image created for post…Glass House said that it has not been able to determine the identities of the alleged minors but said that if minors were at the facility “none of them were Glass House employees.”
There has been widespread fear in the cannabis industry that federal agents could have been conducting a much broader operation investigating the cultivation of marijuana itself, which is still federally illegal and could lead to federal criminal charges against the company and its staff. Video apparently taken during the raid and posted to social media showed a federal agent saying, “This is not an immigration raid.”
Monday’s news release countered that narrative, saying the raid was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and that the search warrant was authorized specifically for “evidence of possible immigration violations.” Glass House said that “very few documents were seized pursuant to the search warrant.”
Continue/Read Original Article Here: Calif. cannabis farm breaks silence weeks after deadly ICE raid
#2025 #America #California #CannabisFarm #DonaldTrump #Health #History #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #Politics #Resistance #Science #SFGate #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates
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Man jailed after cannabis plants starting growing through wall of house into next door
26-year-old Tu Ba Dien has been jailed after he pleaded guilty to producing Class B drugs.
Police were alerted to the Sandfields property after cannabis plants were found to have started growing through a wall into a neighbouring address.
Officers found that all three bedrooms, as well as the attic, were being used to grow cannabis.
Tu Ba Dien was sentenced to 12 months in prison.
Sergeant Carys Pudner from South Wales Police said: “Tu Ba Dien was the only person found at the address during the drugs warrant, but as is always the case, he is just one of many people involved in the network enacting this illegal trade.
“It hasn’t paid off for him – he will lose the next year to a prison term.”
#Cannabis #CannabisFarm #PortTalbot #Sandfields #SouthWalesPolice
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Cannabis farm discovered at disused Llanelli town centre shop
Pllumb Krosi, aged 34, was arrested on Wednesday 30 April after officers from Carmarthenshire’s Priority Policing Team forced entry into a property on Vaughan Street, Llanelli to execute a pre-planned drugs warrant.
Upon entering via the back of the building, officers were faced with a large-scale cannabis farm spanning three floors, with sophisticated modifications to control the building’s temperature, lighting, ventilation, and electricity.
Krosi was found by officers in what was described as the “living quarters” of the cannabis farm before he was swiftly arrested and taken into custody. He was charged and remanded later that day.
Approximately £326,000 worth of cannabis plants were seized during the search, along with keys to a padlock fixed to a metal bar which had been set up to prevent anyone forcing entry to the building.
Appearing at Llanelli Magistrates court the very next day (1 May), Pllumb Krosi pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis and was remanded into custody until his sentencing at Swansea Crown Court on Thursday, 29 May 2025.
Detective Sergeant Richard Saunders from Dyfed Powys Police said: “This is just one of many warrants carried out as part of Operation Scotney as we seek to disrupt the production of cannabis by organised crime gangs in our force area.
“I want to urge the public to remain vigilant to the signs of cannabis grows in their local area and to continue to report any concerns to police. This case shows our commitment to ensuring our force area remains hostile to those who deal drugs.”
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Roof-jumping Trebanos cannabis growers jailed
Ergys and Dorjan Dautaj, both 24, appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, April 28, after pleading guilty to cannabis production.
They were both inside a house on Swansea Road in Trebanos when tactical search teams forced entry on February 13.
The two men smashed their way up through the roof of the house and risked their lives by jumping onto a neighbouring roof as they tried to get away, but moments later they surrendered themselves to officers who had surrounded the house.
Cannabis plants in varying stages of growth were discovered growing throughout the house which had been dangerously modified to grow the drug.
Osman Sallaku, 21, was arrested at a nearby address on the same day during what was a co-ordinated police warrant, and he appeared to be sentenced alongside them.
Ergys Dautaj was jailed for two years. Dorjan Dautaj and Osman Sallaku were both jailed for 12 months.
South Wales Police say Dautaj and Sallaku were among 12 people arrested during Operation Millie which took place throughout in February, 2024. Warrants were executed across south Wales, including in Swansea, Cardiff and the South Wales valleys, during what was the third phase of a national effort to disrupt organised crime groups, involving forces across Wales and England.
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Two Albanian illegal immigrants jailed for cannabis farm at empty Ystalyfera homes
24-year-old Drenit Matmuja and 20-year-old Jonis Krasniqi were found at neighbouring properties on Cyfyng Road, Ystalyfera after a police raid on 21 February.
The basements in both properties were being used to grow a significant number of cannabis plants.
Police discovered 83 cannabis plants in the growing stage and another 22 in the nursery stage at one property and a further 66 cannabis plants at the adjoining property accessed through a hole in the basement wall.
Both grow rooms were kitted out with fans, timers, and lights, and had plastic sheets lining the walls and floor.
At the time of his arrest, Krasniqi had been in the country for five years and his asylum application had been rejected.
Swansea Crown Court heard that immigration services “were not aware” Matmuja was in the country until his arrest.
Matmuja was jailed for 10 months and Krasniqi was sentenced to 10 months in a Young Offender Institution.
Following their earlier guilty pleas, Judge Huw Rees said the pair would serve half of their sentences in custody, before being detained by the Home Office and deported.
Sergeant Matthew Jones from South Wales Police said: “It is clear that these two men were conducting their drugs operation in what they thought was a quiet road where they would not arouse suspicion.
“However, they were wrong to think that their illegal activities would not be discovered.
“We hope that both of them spend their time in prison considering their actions and change their ways upon release.”
(Lead image: South Wales Police)
#Albania #Cannabis #CannabisFarm #IllegalImmigrants #SouthWalesPolice #Ystalyfera
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Cannabis farm worker Etmond Lika caught on camera trying to outwit police during raid on house being used to grow 200 plants in Liverpool.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/88xanp/man-hides-on-roof-from-police-etmond-lika
#Drugs #cannabisfarm #liverpool #uk #worldnews #worlddrugs #police