Two jailed after cannabis grow found

Two men have been jailed after around 1,000 cannabis plants were found in Stoke-on-Trent.

Elvis Abazi, 24, and Valter Metkay, 34, both of no fixed address, were sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court today (Monday 16 February), after they pleaded guilty to being concerned in the production of a controlled drug of class B – cannabis at an earlier hearing.

Abazi was jailed for one-year-and-eight-months and Metkay was jailed for two-years-and-six-months.

On 6 December last year, officers attended a building off Lichfield Street, Hanley, following reports of a smashed window.

When officers entered the building, they found approximately 1,000 cannabis plants and five bottles of fertilizer.

Despite Metkay hiding on top of a water tank and Abazi hiding inside it, both men were located and arrested at the scene.

Both men answered ‘no comment’ to all questions when they were interviewed in custody, but officers worked tirelessly to gather evidence against them which led to them admitting the offences in court.

Sergeant Aimee Holdcroft, of the Stoke-on-Trent north local policing team, said: “The cultivation of cannabis is often linked to more complex and serious crime.

“Offenders are likely to be part of an organised crime network and often they are intent on exploiting vulnerable people to ‘tend to’ or ‘cultivate’ the grows.

“As part of Operation Levidrome, we remain committed to tackling the cultivation of cannabis in Stoke-on-Trent and wider Staffordshire, and I hope this result shows we are committed to taking robust action against those responsible.”

If you suspect there to be a cannabis grow in your area, call us on 101 or use Live Chat on our website.

^ Abazi 

^ Metkay