Huge drug raid near Plymouth heard in court

Three men have appeared at court for trial a little over two years after police raided a business unit in Roborough and uncovered a large cannabis farm.

The jury at Plymouth Crown Court heard how 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 and another man as well as other unknown men.

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 Roborough - between May 1, 2022 and September 21, 2022. He is alleged to have "knowingly permitted or suffered to take place on the said premises the production of a controlled drug of class B, namely cannabis".

Prosecutor Katie Churcher told the court on Monday November 25, that Isufj, aged 40, from Beckenham in London had previously pleaded guilty to his part in the alleged conspiracy.

She told the jury of six men and six women that officers from Devon and Cornwall Police executed a warrant at 3.30pm on September 21, 2022 at the business unit which was found to have been partitioned into three rooms for growing cannabis, plus space used as 'living quarters'.

The jury were shown bodyworn video footage captured by one of the officers from the police's Force Support Group who forced their way into the unit at Roborough and carried out the search.

She said the estimated valued of the cannabis plants found was determined by a Drugs Liaison Officers as being "between £161,000 up to £480,000". She noted that the growth cycle of the cannabis plants was around 16 weeks, meaning the amount of class B drugs could have been replicated every 16 weeks.

She said one man was found at the premises who later admitted he took the role of gardener and has pleaded guilty at a previous hearing. Another man at the property fled the unit and has not been traced.

The jury were told Allaraj, of Brigstock Road, Thornton Heath, south London was considered by police to have taken the role of organisation and setting up the grow site in the unit. She said he was responsible for purchasing materials to construct the rooms and he made monthly payment for the rent of the unit to the tune of £2,000, rented off Langdon. She said the money would pass from Allaraj, through Vasilie to a named lieutenant and then to Langdon.

The court was told Vasilie, of Woodside Close, Grays, Essex, was involved and seen at the business unit and was seen after Langdon moved a container blocking the entrance to the grow. She said Vasilie arrived an hour later and entered the unit. She said the prosecution case was both men - Allaraj and Vasilie - were both "aware and actively involved" in the production of cannabis.

As for Langdon, Ms Churcher said he the landlord of the business unit and was local to the Plymouth area. She said he was seen at the site while the others were also there and took no steps to prevent what was going on at the unit. She said Langdon's "knowledge of what was going on could be inferred from the fact that he seemed to be shutting his eyes to what were very suspicious circumstances and in the vicinity of what was a very large cannabis grow in a unit he regularly visited."

Ms Churcher said police gathered a large amount of evidence as part of their investigation and between May and September 2022 Allaraj, Vasilie and Isufaj were regularly visiting the unit, travelling from London to Devon and back again, "often in the same day and making quick turnaround trips to this particular unit."

She said phones were seized and downloaded which provided more evidence the jury would hear during the trial.

Other evidence included receipts from a B&Q for timber, fibreglass, extension leads, padlocks, steel wire - all used for the construction of the cannabis grow. Allaraj and Vasilie were also seen together buying mattresses to put in the unit so they could occasionally sleep there overnight.

When arrested and interviewed Allaraj claimed he was just a builder and he had no idea the unit was being converted to be used for a cannabis grow. Ms Churcher said the question the jury should ask themselves was why Allaraj was then sending money to Vasilie if he were the builder instead of receiving payment for services.

Ms Churcher told the jury that Vasilie answered no comment to questions from investigators, claiming he was merely a driver for Isufaj and other people. He claimed he never entered any of the rooms at the unit and only ever dropped off people or items. He claimed he was unaware what was being produced in the building.

The jury heard that when interviewed by police Langdon said he didn't know the men, described as Albanians in court, and despite being the landlord had no knowledge of cannabis being grown at the unit, claiming he thought it was going to be used for storage. He claimed he had not checked the unit since he rented it. However, Ms Churcher told the jury there was evidence which they would be shown of Langdon being present at the unit, in the company of Allaraj, Vasilie and Isufaj.

The three men deny the charges.

The trial continues.

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