THREE men have been convicted of operating a cannabis factory inside an abandoned shopping centre in Ayrshire.
Thousands of plants were seized from the site of the former Irvine Forum in September, with Elton Skenderi, Gjovalin Toma and Eduard Daja all pleading guilty to the offence.
The High Court in Glasgow heard on Wednesday that the plants were estimated to be worth between £611,600 and £1,834,800.
Police were alerted about activity on the site by Scottish Power, who flagged concerns about unusual “energy use”, and officers later seized more than 3000 cannabis plants.
After attempting to flee from police, Skenderi and Toma were arrested that same evening and were said to be “reeking” of marijuana.
Daja was caught the following day after being seen leaving the abandoned shopping centre through a fire escape, claiming to have been sleeping in the premises.
The court heard that “living quarters” had been established in neighbouring units, including a bedroom, an electric heater, a kitchenette and tables and chairs.
A barricade had been set up to prevent authorities from entering the building, as well as CCTV being set up outside.
Fingerprint and forensic evidence linked the three men to the cultivation, including hair from clippers that had been found.
All three men were told by Judge Lord Mulholland on Wednesday to expect lengthy jail time after next month’s sentencing.
Both Toma and Daja had previously been sentenced in the UK for similar drug-related offences.
Daja was sentenced to eight months by Leeds Crown Court in May 2023 before later being served with a deportation order, which saw him sent to the Albanian capital of Tirana that July.
He returned to the UK at a later, unconfirmed date.
Toma was also sentenced in Leeds to 14 months for cannabis cultivation and faced deportation to Albania, though he claimed asylum and his case remains live.
All three men have been remanded in custody, with sentencing deferred for reports.
