More than 600 cannabis plants found in Roborough business unit

Three men are on trial after a cannabis farm was discovered in a Roborough business unit which could have resulted in producing hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of the Class B drug, prosecutors have claimed.

Appearing at Plymouth Crown Court for trial Jakub Allaraj, aged 33 and Isidor Vasilie, aged 33, face one charge of conspiracy to produce class B cannabis between May 1, 2022 and September 21, 2022.

It is alleged they conspired to produce the cannabis with Hazbi Isufaj aged 40, from Beckenham in London who has previously pleaded guilty to his part in the alleged conspiracy.

Steven Langdon, aged 64 of Old Exeter Road, Tavistock faces one charge of permitting the production of class B cannabis on premises – namely Unit 6, Hursley Business Park in Blackeven Hill, Roborough – between May 1, 2022 and September 21, 2022.

Prosecutor Katie Churcher told the jury of six men and six women that after executing a warrant and forcing their way into the building, officers from Devon and Cornwall Police’s Force Support Group found a total of 612 plants across three rooms created inside the large business unit.

In one room they found 113 cannabis plants, another held 129 plants and a third held 370 sapling plants. In total the potential yield at full growth was estimated as being between 16.1kg and 48.3kg.

Ms Churcher explained that the wholesale value of the cannabis would have been between £80,500 and £241,500, the mid-market value would have been between £115,000 and £345,000 while the potential street value would have been between £161,000 and £483,000. Ms Churcher had previously said that a harvest of the cannabis could have taken place every 16 weeks.

Extensive cabling, fans, lights, and growing materials were also inside the building along with the plyboard walls separating off the rooms. In addition police found sleeping quarters used by the “gardener” as well as others. .

Ms Churcher said police seized mobile phones belonging to the three men and carried out extensive inquiries, allowing them to determine where the phones had been at different stages of their inquiry. They also found a series of receipts from purchases of materials from a B&Q store in Derriford, for items including cabling, timber, plywood which were used at the business unit.

Further financial inquiries noted the payment of what police believed was rental for the unit – said to be £2,090 – going from an “unknown person in Dagenham” to Vasilie on May 12 2020. The next day £2,000 was sent to a man called Sotiris Bakas – who could not be traced by police. That same day Bakas sent £2,000 to Langdon and on May 24, Allaraj’s bank account sent £2,300 to Vasilie’s account labelled “materials”.

Then on May 25 another of Allaraj’s bank accounts sent £700 to Vasilie’s account labelled “materials”, then Vasilie’s account sent £2,000 to Sotiris Bakas annotated “booking”. Bakas’ account then sent £2,000 to Langdon. On May 27 Allaraj’s bank account sent £300 to Vasilie’s account labelled “materials” and then on May 29 Allaraj’s account paid B&Q £154.54.

Other financial exchanges continued between the accounts by the men in the dock over the next few weeks.

Ms Churcher told the jury that after September 20, following the raid on the property there were no further transactions between Allaraj, Vasilie, Bakas and Langdon.

She said Allaraj was arrested on the A30 on September 20, 2022, heading east in a black Mercedes eastbound. Officers seized cash and five mobile phones from Allaraj, of Brigstock Road, Thornton Heath, south London who later claimed in interview that he was a builder, specialising in plastering.

He gave a prepared statement claiming that between May and July he was going to a business unit in Roborough but he could not remember the exact address. He claimed he was employed to build up three rooms. He claimed he did not know it was going to be used for the cultivation of cannabis and it was not one when he was working there.

Vasilie, of Woodside Close, Grays, Essex answered ‘no comment’ during his police interview.

During his interview with police Langdon answered ‘no comment’ throughout.

The jury were told that Allaraj and Vasilie had no previous convictions, whereas Langdon had four previous convictions – battery in 2002, actual bodily harm also in 2002, drunk and disorderly in 2007 and drink driving in 2013.

Taking to the witness stand, the officer in the case, Det Con John Aggett, confirmed that another suspect in the alleged conspiracy – Sotiris Bakas – was not located despite efforts by police. He confirmed that receipts regarding the purchasing of items was married up with CCTV footage at stores to confirm the identities of those alleged to have been involved in the cannabis farm.

All three men deny the charges.

The trial continues.

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