THREE men have been jailed after a cannabis farm was found in an abandoned shopping centre.
Police discovered the cultivation, worth an estimated £1.8 million, at the site of the former Forum shopping centre in Irvine last September.
Gjovalin Toma, Eduard Daja and Elton Skenderi were sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday after pleading guilty to drugs offences last month.
Toma was sentenced to six years, Daja six years and three months and Skenderi five years and three months.
Detective Inspector Jamie Carruth said: "Drugs can have a devastating impact on our communities, and this significant recovery highlights our determination to getting these harmful substances off our streets and holding those involved in their supply accountable.
“It also highlights our continued commitment to the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and the country’s Serious and Organised Crime Strategy.
“Information from the public is absolutely vital to our work and we would continue to urge people to look out for the usual signs of cannabis cultivations and report any concerns to us.
“We will continue to use every tool and tactic at our disposal to deter this activity and protect our communities from the harm that illegal drugs can cause.”
Police were initially alerted about activity on the site by Scottish Power, who had flagged concerns about unusual “energy use”.
During a previous hearing, the court heard that living quarters had been established in separate units of the building, including a kitchenette and bedrooms.
Fingerprints and hair left on a set of clippers found in one unit linked the three men to the cannabis farm, where an estimated 3000 plants were seized upon its discovery.
Toma and Deja had previously been sentenced in the UK for similar offences.
