Albanian drug farmer caught in Leeds house 'just wants to go home'
Illegal immigrant tried top run when police came knocking
An Albanian immigrant who arrived in the UK on a small boat says he now just wants to go home to his family after being caught working a cannabis farm.
Archile Voci was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week after admitting growing the drug at the terraced property in Beeston.
Police raided the property on Linden Avenue with the unmistakable smell of cannabis coming from the house.
As officers approached the front door, Voci tried to flee on foot, but was quickly detained.
They found two bedrooms, the loft and the cellar had been turned over to growing cannabis.
There were 184 plants in various stages of growth, along with the usual set up of lamps, fans, filters and transformers.
The 36-year-old’s fingerprints were found on the plant pots. He had been living there at the time, the court heard.
During his police interview he told officers he had entered the country seven months prior in the hope of securing work.
Mitigating, Celine Kart said Voci had a wife and two children in Albania. He had run up debts and so came to the UK, crossing the Channel on a small boat.
She said he worked in odd jobs and labouring before being offered the cannabis work in Leeds.
She said he knew it was illegal but still took the job. She added: “He just wants to serve his sentence and go home to his wife and children.
“He is deeply ashamed and remorseful for the position he finds himself in.”
The judge, Recorder Kama Melly KC, gave him an 18-month jail sentence.