Three Swansea cannabis growers who were arrested as part of a police offensive to tackle organised criminal networks have pleaded guilty to producing cannabis and will be sentenced later this month.
Pictured above: Cannabis discovered growing at an industrial unit in Pontypridd.
Dorjan Dautaj and Ergys Dautaj, both 24, were inside a house on Swansea Road, Trebanos, when tactical search teams forced entry on February 13.
They smashed their way up through the roof of the house and risked their lives to get away from officers by jumping onto a neighbouring roof.
But there was no escape and they surrendered themselves to the officers who were waiting below.
Cannabis plants in varying stages of growth were discovered in two bedrooms, the living room and the attic of one of the properties which was extensively and dangerously modified to grow the drug.
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Both pleaded guilty to cannabis production and they will appear alongside another man to be sentenced on Friday, March 21 – Osman Sallaku, 21, was arrested at a nearby address on the same day in what were co-ordinated police warrants.
They are among 12 people who were arrested during a month of action which took place throughout February. Warrants were executed across south Wales, including in Swansea, Cardiff and the south Wales valleys, during what was the third phase of a national effort to disrupt organised crime groups called Operation Millie.
Nearly 1000 plants were also discovered by police when they executed a search warrant at two commercial units on an Industrial Estate in Pontypridd on February 25.
The aim was to target organised crime which is heavily connected to violence, exploitation and anti-social behaviour which blights communities and fuels other criminal activity including county lines and other drug trafficking, modern slavery and human trafficking.
Detective Chief Inspector Jamie Holcombe, said: “The myth that cannabis is harmless couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is that the production of cannabis leaves a trail of misery and destruction in its wake. Those tasked by criminal networks to look after the cannabis grows are often vulnerable and sometimes the victims of human trafficking.”
“In many cases, landlords and their agents will be the first to see that things are not as they should be. Sharing information with the police at an early stage allows forces to tackle cannabis farms before they cause serious damage.
Detective Chief Inspector Holcombe added:“There is also the financial cost of commercial cannabis grows which often cause damage to properties taken over for that purpose. Buildings can become inherently dangerous, including fire risks due to the unlawful abstraction of electricity, fumes and water damage, posing a serious and potentially lethal threat to those in neighbouring properties.
“During the operation, we arrested one landlord who we suspect of being complicit in the operation who has since been released under investigation. Anybody involved in this type of criminality is committing a serious offence and faces being arrested and prosecuted,” he added.
Operation Millie took place in February and was part of a wider, national operation to tackle organised criminal activity – it involved police forces from across England and Wales.
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