Over 230 Cannabis plants seized – Three jailed

Three men have been jailed for 17 months each after police seized over 230 mature cannabis plants from a factory set up in Southampton. Endri Gjiza, 24, Ronaldo Rexha, 24, both of no fixed abode, and Allaman Zuna, 27, of Bellevue Terrace appeared at Southampton Crown Court on 11 April after previously being charged with producing a controlled Class B drug (cannabis) in February.

Officers attended and searched a commercial premises in Radcliffe Road on 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 stressed that any production of drugs is linked to hidden harm, which is why tackling the issue is one of their 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.”

He added that the electrical requirement to cultivate drugs is also very dangerous and can be a huge fire risk – putting neighbouring properties, and other people’s 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.”

PSI Clayton hopes that the 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.”

The police urge the public to report any suspicious activity or potential drug cultivation in their neighbourhoods to help them take appropriate action and keep communities safe. Members of the public can call the police with information on 101 or report via their website. Always call 999 if it is an emergency or a crime is in progress.