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Wales Online
26-05-2025
- Wales Online
'Gardeners' caught in £450,000 school cannabis farm ordered to pay just £1
'Gardeners' caught in £450,000 school cannabis farm ordered to pay just £1 The former school was being used to grow and process industrial quantities of cannabis Inside the large-scale cannabis growing operation in an abandoned school (Image: Dyfed-Powys Police ) Three men caught working for an organised crime group in an industrial-scale cannabis farm in a former school building have been ordered to each pay £1 following a proceeds of crime investigation. Albanians Armeld Troksi, Njazi Gjana, and Ervin Gjana were working as so-called "gardeners" in the drug production operation in an abandoned primary school in Llandysul, Ceredigion, when police officers raided the property in November last year. Troksi was found hiding in a toilet, Njazi Gjana ran off down a corridor but was chased and caught while Ervin Gjana managed to exit the building and flee into the countryside leading to a search involving ground units and a drone in the air. He was caught later the same day, "soaking wet and covered in bramble scratches", walking along the road towards Pencader. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter Swansea Crown Court had previously heard how the cannabis operation involved some 737 plants growing in seven rooms with accompanying lights, heaters, ventilation, and a watering system. Another 82 already-harvested plants were found hanging up in a "drying room" in the school. Police also found a living area stocked with "a large mount of food" and which had washed clothes hanging up to dry. (Left to right) Njazi Gjana, Ervin Gjana, and Armeld Troksi Article continues below In January this year Armeld Troksi, 29, of Empire Avenue, Edmonton, London, was sentenced to three years and dour months in prison, Njazi Gjana, 27, also of of Empire Avenue, Edmonton, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison, and 24-year-old Ervin Gjana, of Durham Avenue, Romford, London, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years after all three pleaded guilty to producing cannabis. The crime gang behind the Llandysul drugs factory has not been identified. When the case came back to court for a proceeds of crime hearing Brian Simpson, prosecuting, told the court that the benefit figure for the criminal conduct was £458,000 but financial investigators had been unable to identify any assets belonging to the defendants. He invited the court to make nominal £1 confiscation orders. The defendants were not legally represented but the court heard their previous solicitors had emailed the court to say the confiscation orders would not be challenged. Speaking through an Albanian interpreter judge Paul Thomas KC asked the defendants - who were appearing via videolink from Swansea Prison - whether they understood what the prosecution was seeking. The defendants said they did. To double-check, the judge asked the defendants to raise their hands if they understood the figures involved. Article continues below The three defendants raised their hands. Judge Thomas made the orders the requested and set seven days in prison in default of payment for each defendant.
26-05-2025
Trio jailed over cannabis farm ordered to pay back just £1 each
THREE men jailed for running a large-scale cannabis farm inside a disused school in Llandysul have been ordered to pay back just £1 each, after being found to have no assets available for confiscation. Armeld Troksi, Njazi Gjana and Ervin Gjana were caught when Dyfed-Powys Police raided the former primary school on Heol Y Fran in November 2024. Officers discovered 819 cannabis plants being cultivated across three floors in what was described as a 'highly sophisticated' grow operation. The drugs seized were estimated to have a street value of up to £620,000. At the scene, Troksi was found hiding in a toilet with dried cannabis stuck to him. Njazi Gjana told officers: 'This is the first time I've ever done anything like this,' while 25-year-old Ervin Gjana tried to flee over a fence but was tracked down by a drone and arrested on a nearby road. All three men pleaded guilty to producing cannabis. Troksi, 29, was sentenced to three years and four months in prison. The Gjana cousins, both of Empire Avenue in Edmonton, London, received two-and-a-half years each. At sentencing, the court heard they were in the UK illegally. Gjana claimed he had been promised £6,000 to harvest cannabis but had not been paid. He said he had arrived in the UK ten years ago in a lorry from France and had been working in the construction trade. Troksi said he had been pressured into working on the farm to repay a debt and was 'genuinely scared.' The three men returned to Swansea Crown Court on May 19 for a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, where Judge Huw Rees initially adjourned the case so the defendants—who were unrepresented—could seek legal advice. 'I hope they realise that I'm doing this in fairness to them,' he told the court. When the matter returned on May 23, it was agreed the men had jointly benefited from their criminal activity to the sum of £458,500. However, as they had no assets to seize, Judge Paul Thomas KC imposed nominal confiscation orders of £1 each. 'You will serve up to half of your sentence,' Judge Thomas said during sentencing. 'What happens thereafter is a matter for the immigration authorities.' Pictured above: Cannabis factory: 819 plants were found inside the former school building in Llandysul (Pic: Dyfed-Powys Police).
Western Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Western Telegraph
Trio grew cannabis inside former Llandysul school building
Armeld Troksi, Njazi Gjana, and Ervin Gjana tried to flee when police raided a major cannabis operation in an empty school building on Heol Y Fran on November 15. Troksi was found hiding in the toilet with pieces of dried cannabis stuck to him, and Njazi Gjana told officers: 'This is the first time I've ever done anything like this' when he was found. Hundreds of cannabis plants were found inside the empty school building. (Image: Dyfed-Powys Police) Ervin Gjana, now 25, of Durham Avenue in Romford, climbed over a wire fence and fled into nearby fields. He was located with the help of a drone and arrested walking along a nearby road. They each pleaded guilty to producing cannabis. Troksi was jailed for three years and four months, whilst the two others were each sentenced to two-and-a-half years. For the latest crime and court news for west Wales, you can join our Facebook group here. Inside the former school building, officers found a total of 819 cannabis plants, prosecutor Brian Simpson said. Dyfed-Powys Police have since confirmed that the plants were capable of producing cannabis worth up to £620,000. The trio returned to court for a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, where it was agreed that they had benefited from their offending to the sum of £458,500. However, they were each found to have no available assets to be seized, so Judge Paul Thomas KC handed each defendant a confiscation order in the nominal sum of £1. Cannabis plants found inside the empty school building in Llandysul. (Image: Dyfed-Powys Police) At their sentencing hearing, the court heard that Njazi Gjana and Troksi, both of Empire Avenue in the Edmonton area of London, were in the UK illegally. Gjana, 27, told officers he had been at the property for around two weeks. He said he arrived in the UK 10 years ago on a lorry from France, after which he had been working in the construction industry in London. He added that he was pressured to harvest cannabis for cash – and had been promised £6,000 which he had not received. 29-year-old Troksi said he was 'genuinely scared' and had been told to work there to pay off a debt. 'You will serve up to half of your sentence,' Judge Thomas told the trio at their sentencing hearing. 'What happens thereafter is a matter for the immigration authorities.'
