Worcestershire cannabis raids: 6 Albanians face deportation

Police have released photos of six cannabis growers all jailed following separate warrants by West Mercia across Worcestershire.

In less than a year, the force has seized and destroyed almost £2 million pounds worth of the class B drug in these warrants alone as officers vow to hit dealers 'where it hurts'.

Three separate raids took place this year in Droitwich High Street, Hanbury and on a trading estate in Eardiston, near Tenbury Wells.

SEIZED: The cannabis plants seized in the warrant in a former sweet shop in Droitwich High Street (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

They were led by the Neighbourhood Crime Fighting Team (NCFT) which only came into existence last July, set up to tackle those crimes which matter most to the communities they serve.

RESULT: L-R Erjon Boshku and Bledar Meta jailed in connection with a cannabis warrant at an old sweet shop in Droitwich High Street (Image: West Mercia Police)

So far their intervention, working with other partners in West Mercia Police, has resulted in more than 2,000 cannabis plants being seized and destroyed. Drugs with an estimated street value of around £1.85 million was stopped from reaching users.

Six cannabis growers, all linked to the three massive grows, are now serving immediate custodial sentences. As all are Albanian nationals receiving a sentence over 12 months, they are at risk of deportation.

The Droitwich warrant took place on June 5 in an empty sweet shop - 604 plants were seized with a street value of £507,360. Two growers, living inside the shop, were cornered and detained in the overgrown backyard as they attempted to escape.

RAID: Police including NCFT officers outside the cannabis grow in a former sweetshop in Droitwich High Street  (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

Erjon Boshku, 40, was jailed for 20 months and Bledar Meta, 20, for 16 months for the production of cannabis when they appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Tuesday.

Another raid took place at a warehouse in Eardiston, near Tenbury, on June 18 when 985 plants were seized capable of producing cannabis with a street value of £838,600.

ARRESTED: Saimar Shabani (left) and Arsidi Agolli were served with immediate jail sentences following a raid on a warehouse near Tenbury where 985 cannabis plants were seized (Image: West Mercia Police)

Saimir Shabani, 40, was jailed for 12 months for production of cannabis and 24-year-old Arsidi Agolli, both of Eardiston, was jailed for 12 months at a hearing on July 17.

These warrants followed a successful raid in Hanbury on February 7 when 487 plans were seized and destroyed. The estimated street value was £500,000.

MASSIVE: Images supplied by police of the large cannabis grow near Tenbury Wells (Image: West Mercia Police)

This raid led to two arrests: Ervin Aliaj, 24 and of no fixed address, was jailed for 13 months and Ndoj Ardit, 22 and of Droitwich Road, Hanbury, for 12 months at a hearing on June 6. 

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JAILED: Ervin Aliaj (left) and Ndoj Ardit, the Hanbury cannabis growers (Image: West Mercia Police)

DI Dave Knight of Proactive CID said in a previous statement: "We take great satisfaction from the fact that organised crime groups (OCGs) spend tens of thousands of pounds setting up these cannabis factories and we go in and rip the whole thing out."