A dad-of-two who fled his native Albania after being threatened over a land dispute was caught in a massive cannabis factory near Witney.

Police raided the industrial unit in Avenue Three on June 15 after locals reported smelling the drug.

When they arrived at the factory they saw one man run off while second man Adhurim Hoxha tried to hide beneath a lorry trailer before shamefacedly apologising to the officers when he was caught.

Inside the lock-up was an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 plants, together with living quarters equipped with an ‘American-style’ fridge, computer and beds.

Jailing 41-year-old Hoxha for two years at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday, Judge Michael Gledhill QC said: “It is quite obvious that you knew when the police arrived you were involved in a large-scale cannabis producing organisation.

“The prosecution rightly places you in the category of a gardener. That is, you were employed by far more intelligent, sophisticated criminals to bring on these plants in order that they could be harvested to sell cannabis on a large scale.”

 

Adhurim Hoxha and the cannabis factory in which he was working Pictures: TVP

Adhurim Hoxha and the cannabis factory in which he was working Pictures: TVP

Adhurim Hoxha and the cannabis factory in which he was working Pictures: TVP

Adhurim Hoxha and the cannabis factory in which he was working Pictures: TVP

Adhurim Hoxha and the cannabis factory in which he was working Pictures: TVP

Adhurim Hoxha and the cannabis factory in which he was working Pictures: TVP

 

Mitigating, Colin McCarraher said his client had come to the UK in December 2020 after threats were made over a land dispute. The dad-of-two, who left his wife and children in Albania, had left school at 16 then worked a series of menial jobs.

He met men in coffee shops and thought they were putting him to work on building sites, but ended up working under the direction of a minder at the Witney cannabis farm. In a basis of plea he said he had been there for around two months before the police raid.

Mr McCarraher said his client did not speak English and struggled to read his native language. Describing Hoxha as a ‘sitting duck’, the barrister said: “He must have stuck a mile out in the cafés, shops and bars.”

The cannabis gardener, who was used to working in fields and on building sites, had struggled in prison.

Hoxha, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to producing cannabis.

Sentencing him to two years’ imprisonment, Judge Gledhill said: “You had no money and it must have become obvious to those involved in large scale cannabis production that you were an easy target to recruit to do their day to day work bringing on these plants.”

 

Adhurim Hoxha and the cannabis factory in which he was working Pictures: TVP

Adhurim Hoxha and the cannabis factory in which he was working Pictures: TVP

 

Det Con Grahame Lea of Banbury CID said: “This conviction and sentence shows how Thames Valley Police will continue to work proactively to disrupt organised criminals and reduce the impact such set ups have on our communities.

“I would encourage members of the public to have the confidence to come forward with any information that may help us to continue to pursue those engaged in this type of activity."

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