A cannabis gardener has been jailed for 18 months after police raided a house in Wishaw. Hamilton Sheriff Court heard Besnik Perleka was sleeping when officers arrived and found 130 plants worth up to £78,000.
Police raid and discovery
Perleka, 35, admitted cultivating cannabis at a house in Caledonian Road on January 14 this year. Connor McIntyre, prosecuting, told the court: "Police attended with a drugs search warrant at 9.15am. They entered the property and found the accused sleeping on a bed. The cannabis cultivation was in another room. The plants were described as well-maintained."
Equipment used in the growing of cannabis was also found. This included a fan, lighting and nutrients.
Sentencing and deportation
Defence lawyer Margaret Chalmers said Perleka is an Albanian national. He has been held in custody since his arrest in January. Mrs Chalmers said a Home Office investigation dismissed concerns that he was the victim of human trafficking.
The 18-month sentence was backdated and under early release rules Perleka was likely to be released from prison immediately. It's expected he will be deported from the UK.
