Cannabis farm worth £120,000 found by West Yorkshire Police officers at house in Beeston

A cannabis farm worth £120,000 was found at a house in Leeds when West Yorkshire Police officers executed a search warrant at the property.
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Officers discovered 220 plants growing on all four floors of the house in Cross Flatts Drive, Beeston, on March 25 this year.

Leeds Crown Court heard Denard Benxhaj was in the house at the time and was arrested.

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Mehran Nassiri, prosecuting, said the house was equipped with sophisticated heating and lighting equipment.

Cross Flatts Drive, Beeston.Cross Flatts Drive, Beeston.
Cross Flatts Drive, Beeston.

The electricity meter had been bypassed and a cable was being used to access power directly from the national grid.

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The defendants fingerprints were also found in the basement.

Mr Nassiri said the plants were capable of producing cannabis with a street value of £120,000.

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The court heard Benxhaj, an Albanian national, had been in the country illegal for around 11 months at the time of his arrest.

When interviewed he initially denied having any involvement in the criminal enterprise.

He later accepted that he had been recruited by other criminals to look after the plants in exchange for payment.

He pleaded guilty to producing cannabis.

She added: "This was a man who made a poor decision for the sake of putting food on the table."

Judge Simon Phillips QC sent Benxhaj to prison for 12 months.