Cannabis factory man had £42,000 under his bed
Hasan Bardhi, 26, was found to have hidden the cash when police searched his address after discovering a cannabis factory - Credit: NORFOLK POLICE
A man involved in running a cannabis factory in Great Yarmouth had more than £42,000 stashed under his bed, a court heard.
Hasan Bardhi, 26, was found to have hidden the cash when police searched his address after discovering a cannabis factory at a house in Churchill Road, which had plants with a street value of between £40,000 to £56,000, Norwich Crown Court heard.
Duncan O'Donnell, prosecuting, said that there was evidence that other crops had been harvested and said the set-up had a potential annual yield of between £170,000 to £220,000.
Bardhi was arrested near the scene and Mr O'Donnell said that when they searched another address where he had been living they found £42,180 hidden under his bed.
Mr O'Donnell said that Bardhi was also found to have a driving licence in a false name.
He said that Bardhi was a manager for the operation and accepted there were others higher up the chain.
""He was engaged in a management function. He was not organising production but was however looking after a large amount of cash."
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He said that when arrested Bardhi tried to claim he had won the cash on football bets.
Bardhi, who had the help of an Albanian interpreter in court, admitted being concerned in the production of cannabis, concealing criminal property and being in possession of a false ID document on November 21, 2018.
The court hear at the time of his arrest he had been on bail for production of cannabis in the Wolverhampton area, for which he was later jailed for nine months.
Sentencing him to 33 months in jail, Judge Katharine Moore said he was in a middle manager role: "You acted under direction of others."
She said that at the time of the offence he had no right to be in the UK and said there was no evidence he could legally drive in this country.
Robert Cowley, for Bardhi, said that since this offence he was now married and had not re-offended.
"He is now resolved to leading a family life and that is why he has committed no further offences."
A confiscation hearing has been fixed for April 6.
