Man jailed for eight months after being found hiding in a cannabis factory

A 23-year-old man found hiding in a bathroom in a suspected drug factory has been sentenced to eight months in prison after pleading guilty to the production of a Class B drug.

Klevif Baqoshi was arrested at a house in Clinton Road, Northampton, after officers from the town’s Neighbourhood Policing Team executed a warrant under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act on April 15, 2024.

During the search of the property, officers discovered 129 cannabis plants in various states of growth, which were spread across four rooms including the loft, and associated equipment required to produce the Class B drug.

A home surveillance system had been installed in the house with cameras covering each of the rooms containing plants. Throughout the search, officers noticed the cameras panning the room, revealing the address was being monitored in real time.

The electricity at the address had also been bypassed and a makeshift watering system set up, linking the kitchen sink to a water butt on the first floor via a hosepipe fed through the ceiling and floorboards – rendering the property dangerous.

At the time of his arrest, Baqoshi, who appeared to be the sole occupant, was in possession of identification documents, a small amount of cash, a mobile phone and house keys, proving he was there under his own freewill.

Baqoshi, of no fixed address, was charged with the production of a controlled Class B drug – namely cannabis – and appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on April 16, where he pleaded guilty to the single charge.

He was remanded in custody and his case was committed to Northampton Crown Court for sentencing and on May 28, he appeared before a judge who ordered him to serve eight months in prison and pay a £187 surcharge.

Lead investigator - PC Davey Silver of the Northampton Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “Tackling and preventing drug harm is a matter of priority for the Force and we will continue to act on information and concerns raised by our communities to disrupt drug dealers, who prey on the most vulnerable people in our society and bring misery to others.

“Cannabis factories blight a community. No one should feel miserable about where they live and having a factory of this nature in your local area really brings down a neighbourhood and can often also cause thousands of pounds worth of damage to a rental property.

“This is a prime example of how we can work together with our partners and residents to take positive action against issues affecting them and I would urge anyone who has concerns about drug dealing within their local communities to keep reporting suspicious activity to us.”

If anyone has concerns about drug dealing or any other illegal activities, please report it to us on 101, online at www.northants.police.uk/ro or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.