A man who worked as a “gardener” on a cannabis farm was caught after paying council tax on the property, a court heard. Chrisian Kumaraka was identified after police raided the house and found bill receipts and later visited local shops to check CCTV footage.

A judge at Swansea Crown Court said the courts were “very familiar” with Albanian criminal gangs recruiting people to work in UK cannabis factories, but said it appeared only “gardeners” were being prosecuted.” Highest position.” He said that if the authorities want to put an end to this type of criminal activity, they must make a great effort to identify who guards the property, install crops and recruit gardeners, otherwise the only thing that happens is that taxpayers keep the defendants in prison, and then a flight back to Albania.

Alicia Carpanini, prosecuting, said police executed a search warrant at a house in Rodfa Glan y Mor, Margham, on December 11 last year and discovered the property had been converted into a cannabis farm with three rooms set aside for drug production. . According to her, the police confiscated a total of 146 plants, including young and adult ones, as well as lamps and a ventilation system. No one was home, but police found several electricity and council tax bills issued to local shops. Police went to the stores and checked security cameras to see who had made the corresponding payments and identified Chrisian Kumaraka.

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Later that day, the court heard that officers saw the 26-year-old defendant walking along Talbot Road in Port Talbot and arrested him. During the search he found mobile phones, £280 in cash and the keys to Rodf’s property in Glan-y-Mor. The prosecutor said police estimated the potential wholesale value of the crop grown on the site at up to £62,000. The defendant later gave a statement to the police in which he stated that he had been taken from France to the United Kingdom in the back of a truck in March 2023 and that he owed money to whoever transported him. He said he was told to water the plants and pay the bills at the Port Talbot house “or there would be consequences”.

Chrisjan Kumaraku, of no fixed address, had already pleaded guilty to manufacturing cannabis and possession of criminal property (which was found in his possession) when he appeared in court for sentencing. No previous convictions. Hyvel Davies, representing Kumaraku, said that given the defendant’s immigration status, his client was aware that there was only one possible sentence and that was immediate imprisonment. He said his client’s lack of previous convictions in both the UK and Albania showed how strange the crime involving Margam was and said that upon his possible release from prison, Kumaraku wanted to return to Albania and return to his old job. in the hotel sector. . . For the latest court reports, sign up for our crime newsletter here.

Judge Geraint Walter said the courts were “very familiar” with the circumstances surrounding Albanian criminal gangs recruiting men to work in UK cannabis factories. In his experience, he said, only those who work in the factories are prosecuted and “never those at the top of the chain,” and he said he felt those who work in the hemp factories were “taught” what to say to the police if were arrested. because they said essentially the same thing.

The judge said that if authorities wanted to put an end to criminal activities like this, they would have to make a “vigorous effort” to identify those who protect properties, establish crops and recruit gardeners, adding that collecting such information should not be “outside the scope of application”. “human”. mind.” Judge Walters said the current state of prosecution of the so-called gardeners simply resulted in taxpayers paying for the defendants to be arrested and then transported back to Albania.

On a reduced appeal, Kumaraku was sentenced to 12 months in prison. The judge said defendants normally serve up to half of their prison sentence before being released on leave to serve the rest of the community, but given Kumarak’s status it is possible he could be deported, although that would be a matter for the court’s jurisdiction. . Interior and not the courts

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