Sheffield Crown Court: Two illegal immigrant cousins jailed for overseeing cannabis den

Sheffield Crown Court heard on June 1 how cousins and Albanian nationals Mirjan Petku, aged 25, and Rexhep Petku, 22, were found with 49 cannabis plants and 12 seedling cannabis plants in a house on Woodhouse Green, Thurcroft, Rotherham.

Richard Davies, prosecuting, told the hearing police officers executed a search warrant at the property on March 29 and found the defendants with plants and plant seedlings among a cannabis growing set-up including lights, fans, transformers and filters.

Judge Graham Reeds QC said: “This was an operation capable of producing cannabis on a commercial scale. Two rooms were converted and given over to cannabis production.

“The electricity supply had been by-passed and there had inevitably been much financial outlay to set up this operation.”

Mr Davies added that 22 cannabis plants had been found in a front room, 27 plants in a rear room and 12 seedling plants were in a back room, all with an overall potential yield of about 6kg.

Mirjan Petku told police he had been working in London at a car wash when he was invited to Rotherham by his cousin Rexhep Petku but said he had not known anything about the cannabis and he had only been at the property for a short time.

Rexhep Petku refused to answer any police questions.

Mirjan Petku, who has a previous conviction, and Rexhep Petku, who has no previous convictions, both pleaded guilty to producing the Class B drug cannabis.

Mark Savage, defending, said Rexhep Petku was brought to the UK with the promise of working in the construction industry and he was in debt to those who had arranged for his journey.

Mr Savage claimed Rexhep Petku had only been at the property a few days after he had been instructed about the conservation of cannabis.

Tim Gaubert, defending, said Mirjan Petku had been deported back to Albania but had returned as an illegal immigrant looking for work and Mr Gaubert also claimed Mirjan Petku had only been at the house for a number of days.

Mr Savage and Mr Gaubert both added that neither Mirjan or Rexhep Petku had any influence upon others above them in the criminal chain.

Judge Reeds told the defendants: “Each of you chose to stay at a house where I am sure you knew cannabis was being grown and you each chose to play a part in growing that crop for money.

“That may have been money paid to you in your hands or through the reduction of a debt incurred when you chose to enter the UK illegally.”

He added: “I reject as absurd the idea that you were both visiting the other at the house and that you each independently travelled there and had only been there a few days when the police arrived.”

Judge Reeds sentenced Mirjan Petku to two years and 10 months of custody and he sentenced Rexhep Petku to two years of custody.

He also told both defendants that upon their release they will each be liable to be deported as foreign criminals.