Five men plead guilty after 200 cannabis plants found inside grow

Five men have pleaded guilty after 200 cannabis plants were found in Stoke-on-Trent.

We found a cannabis grow inside an address near Widecombe Road, Birches Head, at 7.10pm on Friday 28 February.

Five men were arrested at the scene.

Amarilinto Mersinllari, 26, Besim Mlista, 33, Orgito Tafa, 34, Bektash Toska, 23, and Elton Tuga, 32, all of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to producing a controlled drug of class B (cannabis) and abstract/use without authority electricity at the North Staffordshire Justice Centre on Monday (3 March).

They were remanded into custody ahead of their next appearance at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on 10 April 2025.

We’re working proactively to disrupt and target the organised crime groups responsible for cannabis cultivation across Staffordshire.

Those involved are often exploited by career criminals and forced to cultivate the plants on behalf of criminal gangs.

If you’re concerned about cannabis cultivation in your area, call us on 101 or use Live Chat on our website.

To report anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.