A man has been jailed for two years after officers uncovered a cannabis-growing operation concealed inside a house in Greenhithe, Kent Police said.

Officers executed a warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act at a property in Sayer Close on 27 March 2026, following enquiries that suggested cannabis was being cultivated at the address.

Once inside, officers found several stud walls blocking access to rooms. They broke through the partitions and discovered a cannabis factory spanning the ground-floor living area and two upstairs bedrooms.

More than 70 plants were seized, along with growing equipment. Xhevahir Axhami, 33, was found in a bathroom and arrested at the scene.

Court outcome

Axhami, an Albanian national of Park Road, Enfield, was charged with being concerned in the production of a class B drug and admitted the offence.

At Maidstone Crown Court on 13 July 2026, he was sentenced to two years in prison.

"Cultivations like this can help to fund serious organised crime, so officers work relentlessly to identify these sites and dismantle them," said investigating officer Police Constable Michael Belfrage. "We take the illegal use and supply of drugs extremely seriously and urge anyone concerned about drug activity in their neighbourhood to contact us so that we can take action."

How police say you can spot a cannabis factory

Kent Police also published advice on warning signs that a nearby property may be being used for illegal cultivation.

Indicators can include windows permanently covered from the inside, and visitor patterns that do not match normal household routines — for example, people calling daily or weekly but only staying for short periods.

A strong, pungent smell may come from the building, sometimes seeping through walls into neighbouring homes.

Other signs can include compost bags or gardening equipment left in a garden or near a back door without any obvious legitimate gardening, or ventilation ducts protruding from roof tiles.

Context

Greenhithe sits in the Dartford borough of Kent, close to the Thames crossing into Essex. Large domestic cannabis grows remain a staple of UK drug enforcement casework, with forces routinely targeting properties converted for cultivation behind false walls and heavy insulation.

Axhami had previously faced additional allegations relating to electricity use when first charged in March, according to local court reporting at the time. The sentencing announced by Kent Police on 14 July 2026 concerned his guilty plea to class B drug production.

Reporting based on a Kent Police policing news release, 14 July 2026.