By James Simons-
Two men discovered cowering under the floorboards of a huge £750,000 cannabis grow in a former army depot are facing prison.
Northamptonshire Police found 60 bags of cannabis with a total of £750,000 worth of cannabis. There were 35o plants on the property.
The men are set to again appear at court for sentencing on September 16.Judge Adrienne Lucking warned that they were “likely” facing a custodial sentence.
Osman Mani and Sulejmn Mani face jail, after pleading guilty to producing a quantity of cannabis which is a class B drug at a hearing at Northampton Crown Court.
Cops from Daventry were alerted to the grow on June 16 after members of the public smelt cannabis and heard a loud humming noise coming from a unit at the former Royal Ordnance Depot at Weedon Bec. from Daventry discovered the factory on Ordnance Road in Weedon Bec on Wednesday, June 16, it has now emerged.
Officers later attended and found that the unit was padlocked shut and “heavily fortified” but slowly broke in. They discovered a “significant” cannabis grow which spanned two floors and appeared to have been at the location for “some time”.
Officers subsequently received tips that there may be people hiding within the property, and opened a trap door to find one of the men.
Northamptonshire Fire and rescue Service were later called to assist pulling up the rest of the floorboards at which point they found the other man. They were both arrested and later charged.
The court heard how the grow was “very sophisticated” with ventilation, lighting and wiring being well organized. Officers contacted the local power board, who stopped the power supply to the property, and began dismantling the grow on June 17.
The court heard that the two men were not the “brains behind the operation” but did have “awareness and understanding” of what was going on.