Cannabis farmer was Albanian smuggled into country to pay off gang debt

Shrewsbury Crown Court heard that 29-year-old Haxhi Sula had initially been working at a car wash before being moved to the 'professional' cannabis farm at a property in Telford.

Sula worked as gardener in the operation, but a national assessment unit has since decided he was not a 'modern slave', because it considered he could leave at any time he wanted.

The court heard that Sula himself accepted he was not a slave, but said that he was put under pressure to work in the cannabis factory.

Sentencing, Judge Mr Recorder Julian Taylor, said Sula had been discovered when police carried out a raid on June 15 last year.

Officers had gone to the property at Southfield in Sutton Hill where they found 372 cannabis plants, with a weight of 11.33kg, and a street value of up to £160k.

Judge Taylor said Sula had tried to escape by jumping out of a rear window but only got as far as the neighbouring garden before officers caught him.

He added: "In short the property was searched and was found to be converted into a professional cannabis growing set-up with about 372 plants."

Police were told that Sula, who had admitted producing a controlled drug of Class B, had been sleeping on a bed on the floor at the property.

He had been smuggled into the country in the back of a lorry by a gang with the purpose of paying off a €35,000 debt his brother had racked up with criminals.

Richard Davenport, mitigating, said: "He has a brother in Albania who had run up a large debt of around €35,000. The brother became disabled and was unable to work to pay that back.

"The defendant felt obliged to pay that money up because of the pressure the family was under from the gang to which the money was owed.

"As a result of that he agreed to be smuggled into this country in the back of a lorry in order to earn money to pay that debt.

"He came into the country in January 2021. Initially he started washing cars because that was what he had done in Albania. But he was then transported to Telford to work in a cannabis farm."

Mr Davenport added: "He only worked as a gardener and worked under the direction of other members of the gang."

He added that Sula had pleaded guilty at his first appearance in the crown court and that he would have liked to have come to the country legally to earn money to support his family.

He continued: "He feels very guilty he has come here to commit criminal offences and he is concerned over what the future holds for him as he faces either deportation or possibly being tracked down and punished by the gang to whom he owes money."

The court was told that Sula has no previous convictions in the UK – and speaking through an interpreter he confirmed, on oath, that he also has none in Albania.

Judge Taylor said he accepted Sula had been exploited.

Sentencing, he said: "You have not been found to be a modern slave because it was clear you could have left at any point, but I accept you have been exploited by unscrupulous people to do this job because of the debt you owed them."

He added: "You were exploited. You came to this country and you were used as a gardener to farm this cannabis. Nevertheless as a man of 28 years of age you knew what you were doing and what you were doing was wrong."

Sula, who has been on remand since June 17 last year, was sentenced to 12 months in prison – and will serve half that term before being released.

A proceeds of crime hearing has been scheduled to take place on August 16.