A 24-year-old man has been sentenced to 27 months in prison after being discovered tending a professional-scale cannabis grow in a former shop in Burnopfield, County Durham.
Erik Xhaxho, who had previously been deported to Albania in 2024 following a conviction for a similar offence in Scotland, was arrested on June 26 after police executed a search warrant at the premises. Upon entry, officers found Xhaxho inside the property, which contained 200 cannabis plants and 518 seedlings spread across multiple rooms.
A Sophisticated Operation
According to The Northern Echo, the site utilised professional heating and lighting equipment. Expert analysis estimated the potential yield of the operation to be between 20kg and 60kg, with a street value estimated between £57,000 and £207,000.
In mitigation, the defence noted that Xhaxho had returned to the UK to pay off debts. However, Judge Richard Bennett emphasised the professional nature of the set-up, noting that Xhaxho had unrestricted access to the site.
Enforcement and Policy
The case highlights the ongoing challenges of the UK’s current prohibition-based drug policy. While authorities continue to focus on dismantling large-scale grows, critics of the current system argue that the lack of a regulated, legal market leaves the industry entirely in the hands of criminal networks. By failing to provide legal avenues for production and supply, the current enforcement model often results in a cycle of arrests and deportations without addressing the underlying demand or the criminal exploitation of vulnerable individuals.
Judge Bennett confirmed that Xhaxho, who has consented to deportation, will face removal from the UK again upon the completion of his custodial sentence.
