'Have you not figured it out!?' Telford cannabis producer's flippant response after cops ask how he makes money
An immigrant who was caught looking after a £100,000 cannabis farm to pay off his debts has been jailed.
Xhulio Merku, aged 30, was caught when police burst into a property in Summerhill, Sutton Hill, Telford. They discovered 286 plants at various stages of growth in four rooms which had been specially adapted for cannabis growing.
Merku, who is from Albania, was arrested on March 22, the day of the raid, and pleaded guilty in June. He had been in custody up until his sentencing at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
The court was told that officers executed a warrant at 8.50am, and Merku was the sole occupant of the property. The rooms had been kitted out with sheets on the walls, lighting and ventilation. The average yield of the plants was confirmed as more than £100,000.
Merku was arrested and, during his police interview, he was asked how he makes money. His response to police was: "Have you not figured it out yet?"
The court also heard that he was brought to the country illegally, and owed those who brought him over £23,000. When honest work did not materialise, he turned to crime to pay off his debts.
His role was described as a "gardener" - someone who looks after the plants and does not stand to make a large amount of money from drugs being sold.
Merku, of Summerhill, Sutton Hill, Telford, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis and abstracting electricity.
Kevin Jones, defending, said: "It's a case that we see all too often in these courts," where vulnerable people are brought into the country at considerable debt to themselves and their families, and work opportunities fail to materialise.
Mr Jones said that Merku had told him he is an experienced in construction work and farming, and hopes to build a future in the UK.
Judge Anthony Lowe told Merku: "286 plants is a substantial number," and that he must have had some knowledge of the scale of the operation.
He handed Merku a 12-month jail sentence. He will serve half behind bars and half on license and, given he had been in prison since the end of March, it is expected he will be released towards the end of next month. Judge Lowe added that the sentence is subject to any action that is taken with regards to deportation.
He also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs and associated paraphernalia.
