A man growing drugs at his home was caught by police - hiding behind his cannabis plants. Ardi Salikaj, 30, was spotted crouching in the loft during a raid at his house.
More than 150 cannabis plants were discovered growing in four rooms of his home in Beech Tree Avenue, Mansfield Woodhouse in Nottinghamshire. Police received a tip-off and raided the cannabis factory on January 31.
After forcing entry into the house, found dozens of cannabis plants in the living room. More than 50 more plants were also found in two bedrooms upstairs, with around 80 more also discovered in the loft.
Bodycam footage shows Salikaj lying behind a cluster of plants by the chimney. The one-minute clip shows an officer search the loft space before spotting Salikaj curled up in the corner.
They can be heard to shout: “Come here, now! Come here and get on the floor now."
Salikaj, wearing pink shorts and a coat, was ordered to lie face down on the floor while he was handcuffed. Police discovered the electricity meter inside the property had been dangerously bypassed to power the cannabis farm.
Salikaj, who lived in the house, pleaded guilty to the production of cannabis, and was jailed for eight months at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday (March 17).
PC Luke Bettridge, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "Proactive warrants like the one we used in this case are a key part of the preventative work we do to tackle drug offences and other crimes across Nottinghamshire. We don’t want to see drug operations like this anywhere near our communities, which is precisely why we work so hard to shut them down.
"The production and supply of illegal drugs is an incredibly serious matter, and this includes those who grow and deal cannabis. Cannabis production is not a victimless crime – it attracts nothing but trouble, often has links to wider criminality, and poses a dangerous fire risk too.
"We don’t want to see this on our streets, so we were happy to shut the grow down in this case. I am also pleased to see that Salikaj has now been punished for his involvement in this illicit enterprise."
