Albanian caught frantically trying to hide £140,000 in cash during Leeds house raid

Officers targeted the property on Linton Crescent, Alwoodley, on November 21 last year, suspecting cannabis was being grown, Leeds Crown Court heard.

They saw Daniel Kabali come to the window, but he hesitated coming to the door which led officers to suspect he was trying to hide items. They eventually gained entry and after combing the house, they found a holdall in the attic space which contained £140,300 in notes.

They also found other sums of cash dotted around the house. They found items related to cannabis growing in the garden shed but they were not being used.

The 20-year-old was arrested and interviewed in which he confessed he was in the UK illegally and owed a trafficking gang £24,000, but had managed to pay off £4,000. He said he had been working a painter and decorator for cash in hand.

He refused to give police the PIN code to his phone, prosecutor Robert Galley said. Appearing in court via video link from HMP Doncaster, Kabali admitted a charge of possession of criminal property.

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Mitigating, Anastasis Tasou said: "He accepts that while he was only involved for a limited period, he performed a trusted role. An immediate custodial sentence is inevitable, I do not seek to persuade the court otherwise.

"He is still only 20 years of age, so it relatively young. He wishes to be deported to his native Albania and it seems that will follow in due course."

Judge Richard Mansell KC jailed Kabali for 15 months and told him: "It was clearly the proceeds of criminal activity. You admitted being a warehouseman for the holdall of cash, minding it for others. You were clearly highly trusted."