Immigrant fleeing from authorities linked with cannabis farms in Leeds and Bingley
An asylum seeker who fled from the authorities was later caught involved in two cannabis farms in residential properties.
Kuitim Dema was caught trying to clean up one of the homes days after it was raided by police.
He was jailed at Leeds Crown Court and told he faces deportation once he has completed his sentence.
Officers first raided a property on Nunroyd Lawn in Moortown on March 7, finding a cannabis farm. Dema’s brother was at the property and arrested.
But during the officers’ search of the property, they found mail addressed to a property on Woodlands Grove in Bingley.
They raided that home and found two grow rooms containing 121 plants and a comprehensive set-up with a thermal-lined attic to prevent detection.
Six days later, Dema turned up at the address and police swooped in to arrest him. He gave them a false name, prosecutor Robert Galley said.
He appeared in court and admitted one count of the production of cannabis.
Mitigating, Timothy Jacobs said 35-year-old Dema borrowed money to come to the UK in 2022, entering illegally.
He claimed asylum, but fled while his case was being processed. As a result, his application was denied.
He said Dema would not have profited from the sale of the cannabis, but paid a “modest wage”. He said Dema also welcomed the idea of being deported.
The judge, Recorder Helen Chapman jailed him for 27 months.