Men who posed with stash at £1m cannabis farm jailed

Three men who were running a huge cannabis farm in Greater Manchester worth almost £1m have been jailed after they were seen in photos posing with the haul.

Indrid Hysembelli, 26, Xhoi Kasaj, 30, and Romeo Tosca, 26, were found hiding in a loft space at an industrial unit during a police raid.

Officers found 889 cannabis plants worth an estimated £986,800 at the Bilsley Street address in Oldham in June, and later found photos of the men posing next to piles of the illegal substance.

Hysembelli was jailed for three years and seven months on Monday, while Tosca was jailed for two years and eight months on 23 March along with Kasaj, who was jailed for two years and three months.

“This was a significant and highly organised cannabis cultivation operation, producing drugs valued at almost £1m and posing a serious risk to the local community,” Det Con Christopher Brown said.

“Drug dealing is not a victimless crime.

“It is closely linked to violent gang activity and the exploitation of vulnerable people.

“These sentences send a clear message that those involved in the production and supply of illegal drugs will be identified, arrested and brought before the court.”

Officers forced entry to the Bilsley Street address on 17 June last year – where an inspection later confirmed the electricity supply had been illegally bypassed.

The building was heavily secured, requiring officers to use specialist equipment to force entry.

And a small living area was also found within the premises – containing four bunk beds, a cooker, fridge and a television displaying live CCTV footage from cameras positioned around the outside of the building.

The living conditions were found to be “extremely poor”, police said.