Illegal immigrant is put behind bars after growing thousands of pounds of cannabis in Sheffield

Sheffield Crown Court heard today, Thursday, May 28, how Albanian national Dritan Tusha, aged 25, was caught during a police raid with over 200 cannabis plants at a property where he was staying on Calvert Road, near Tinsley, Sheffield.

Judge Roger Thomas QC told Tusha: “You are, unhappily, yet another Albanian national who has come to the UK illegally and who has chosen to become involved in the commercial cultivation of cannabis – something that is happening in my experience in considerable numbers in this part of the world.”

He added: “This was clearly an operation capable of producing significant quantities of cannabis for commercial use.”

Gurdial Singh, prosecuting, said if the 117 actively growing plants out of the 210 plants found were sold per kilo they would have an approximate value of between £42,000 and £62,000.

However, Mr Singh added that it is accepted Tusha was a gardener with a lesser role in the operation.

Mr Singh said Tusha had paid to come to the UK and had been working in a carwash which closed due to the coronavirus lockdown but Tusha claimed he was offered work, food and accommodation to look after the plants.

The defendant, of Calvert Road, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to producing a quantity of controlled class B drug cannabis after the police raid on April 15.

Judge Thomas revealed police found photos of Tusha on his mobile phone with others including someone wearing a mask and giving a V sign and another showed bundles of cash.

Tim Gaubert, defending, said Tusha came to the UK on March 3 and he was working at a carwash in London before the coronavirus lockdown.

Mr Gaubert added: “He was performing a limited function under direction. We would say his involvement was out of financial desperation and perhaps naivety.

“He had no influence on those further up the chain and as a result we would say he was at the bottom of the pyramid.”

Judge Thomas sentenced Tusha to two-years of custody. He added the defendant should be deported once he has served his sentence.