Man jailed after cannabis factory is uncovered

A HILLSBOROUGH man who was arrested during a drugs warrant at a house in Walkley earlier this year has been jailed for two years and eight months at Sheffield Crown Court.

Stafa Besnik, 32, was detained by officers at the property on Holme Lane on June 20.

Sergeant Simon Kirkham from the Sheffield North West Neighbourhood Team said: “The property had been at the centre of weeks of intelligence gathering by officers. Once we were inside, my team found an elaborate and professional cannabis set up. The street value of the plants was around £100,000.

“Besnik had been producing and cultivating cannabis at the property for three months, shortly after moving to the city.

“Every room in the house was full of plants, fans and transformers – all of which was being carefully managed by Besnik.”

Besnik, of Holme Lane, who is an Albanian national, pleaded guilty to production of a controlled drug at an earlier hearing on Monday 22nd June 2020 and was sentenced on July 17.

In addition to his custodial sentence he was also ordered to pay a victim fine of £196 upon his release from prison.

Sgt Kirkham added: “This warrant and ultimately the sentencing of Bresnik was a result of hard work by my team but also our partners and residents. We all worked together to remove what was a huge concern for the community.

“There’s no doubt that Bresnik and this setup were part of someone’s business plan, but Bresnik was fully aware of what he was doing and deserved a custodial sentence today.

“I hope this result empowers people to report issues and work with us, we know this is an issue for some of our communities and we’re here to help tackle those problems.”

If you suspect someone is growing cannabis in a property in your community, please call 101 or speak to Crimestoppers.