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Scottish Sun
19-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
Illegal immigrant behind £6M cannabis farm in abandoned WH Smith in Scots town jailed
AN ILLEGAL immigrant caught working in a £6million cannabis factory located in a former WH Smith shop has been jailed for three years and three months. Petrit Gjuraj, 24, paid £20,000 to come from Albania to work in a large-scale drugs cultivation plant in an ex retail outlet in High Street, Kirkcaldy, Fife. 3 Petrit Gjuraj worked at a £6million cannabis factory in Kirkcaldy, Fife Credit: Alamy 3 The cultivation was in a former WH Smith store on the town's High Street Credit: YouTube/Shepherd Chartered Surveyors 3 Gjuraj has been imprisoned for three years and three months Credit: Shepherd Chartered Surveyors The High Court in Edinburgh heard how he was arrested after police raided the premises in 2022. The court heard how officers who searched the three-storey building found a total of 1,330 cannabis plants, which were being grown on every floor. Workers slept in a small area which consisted of three double mattresses. The court also heard detectives also found a large TV which showed live CCTV footage from a camera located at the back of the premises which focused on the back door. Drugs squad officers found the cannabis being grown there could have netted the organised crime group responsible for the plant a total of £6,596,800. The story emerged after the accused pleaded guilty to earlier this year to being concerned in cultivating cannabis between March and May 2022 before judge Lord Scott. Today, Gjuraj, of Paisley, Renfrewshire, appeared before Lord Scott for sentencing, who said that the offence was so serious that he needed to go to prison. Passing sentence, Lord Scott said: 'This was a sophisticated operation. You were involved for a period of two months. 'You deny playing a leading role. But the extent of the operation must have been apparent to you - you were locked inside with the drugs. 'It is clear that in all the circumstances that a custodial sentence is the only appropriate disposal.' Evil killer butchered girlfriend before severing head & trying to dismember her at Scots flat At a hearing last month, Lord Scott heard about the moment police arrested Gjuraj, an Albanian national. Prosecutor Alan Cameron KC said: 'Police Scotland received intelligence that cannabis was being cultivated within the three storey, disused premises at 183-187 High Street, Kirkcaldy. 'Police cars arrived at the front and rear of the premises to search them. Police cars arrived at the front and rear of the premises. 'The accused and three other males were seen from the police helicopter exiting onto the roof of the building via a fire escape and running west along the roof of he adjacent building via a fire escape and running west along the roof the adjacent building. 'It became apparent to officers that the males had no means of escape. After the males made a few attempts to conceal themselves, they were observed to be engaging with the officers and a ladder was requested. 'The males descended the ladder in turn nd were detained by the officers on the street.' According to Google Maps, the premises raided by police used to be occupied by a branch of WH Smith. A branch of clothing giants New Look was once located close by as was a branch of Waterstones. Mr Cameron told the court that the accused told police that he had paid a person in Albania £20,000 to come to the UK. Mr Cameron added: 'The arrangement was that should he not carry out the work then his family in Albania would have to sell their property to repay the debt. 'He made his own way to Belgium and then hid in a lorry and by hiding in the lorry was able to enter the UK. 'He worked in London before moving to Scotland, where he worked for two months in the building where he was subsequently found by the police. 'He is an Albanian national who has no legal entitlement to be in the UK. The usual national referral mechanism checks were made with the Home Office and it was determined he had not ben trafficked.' The court heard that the premises raided by the police were set up for 'maximum cannabis cultivation' - officers reckon the OCG spent £70,000 on cultivation. Detectives recovered 392 cannabis plants from the ground floor, 740 plants from the first floor and 146 plants from the top floor. Mr Cameron added: 'If the cannabis cultivated was sold in one eighth deals that would amount to approximately 164,920 deals at £40 per deal. This would have yielded approximately £6,596,800. 'STOP officers offer the opinion the accused was trusted by an organised crime group which had invested in the production of the cannabis and would have yielded significant sums from its onward sales.' On Thursday, defence solicitor advocate Donna Maitland told the court that her client slept on a mattress in a "locked factory". She said: "He didn't have any keys and was not able to leave. He was terrified of getting into trouble from the gang." "There were regular threats to kill him and his family if he did not do what he was told. He tells me this has been his first involvement in the legal system." "He was exploited and had no influence on those above him in the chain," she said. Ms Maitland also said his position was that he was trafficked to the UK to work off a debt. A debt of almost pounds 20,000 was amassed through medical bills for his mother. She said: "It is clear he is remorseful and is very anti drugs.' Gjuraj was then taken into custody.
STV News
28-05-2025
- STV News
Former WH Smith turned into three-storey £6m cannabis factory by crime group
A man who paid £20,000 to come illegally to Britain became a key player in a £6m cannabis factory located on a busy Scottish high street, a court heard. Petrit Gjuraj, 24, was arrested after police caught him at a former branch of WH Smith on High Street, Kirkcaldy, in 2022. The High Court in Edinburgh heard how officers who searched the three-storey building found a total of 1,330 cannabis plants, which were being grown on every floor. Workers slept in a small area that consisted of three double mattresses. The court also heard that detectives found a large TV that showed live CCTV footage from a camera located at the back of the premises, which focused on the back door. Police officers found the cannabis being grown there could have netted the organised crime group responsible for the plant a total of £6,596,800. On Wednesday, Judge Lord Scott heard about the moment police arrested Gjuraj, an Albanian national. Prosecutor Alan Cameron KC said: 'Police Scotland received intelligence that cannabis was being cultivated within the three-storey, disused premises at 183-187 High Street, Kirkcaldy. 'Police cars arrived at the front and rear of the premises to search them. 'The accused and three other males were seen from the police helicopter exiting onto the roof of the building via a fire escape and running west along the roof of the adjacent building. 'It became apparent to officers that the males had no means of escape. After the males made a few attempts to conceal themselves, they were observed to be engaging with the officers, and a ladder was requested. 'The males descended the ladder in turn and were detained by the officers on the street.' The story emerged after Gjuraj, of Paisley, pleaded guilty to being concerned in cultivating cannabis at the premises between March and May 2022. Mr Cameron told the court that the accused told police that he had paid a person in Albania £20,000 to come to the UK. Mr Cameron added: 'The arrangement was that should he not carry out the work, then his family in Albania would have to sell their property to repay the debt. 'He made his own way to Belgium and then hid in a lorry, and by hiding in the lorry was able to enter the UK. 'He worked in London before moving to Scotland, where he worked for two months in the building where he was subsequently found by the police. 'He is an Albanian national who has no legal entitlement to be in the UK. The usual national referral mechanism checks were made with the Home Office, and it was determined he had not been trafficked.' The court heard that the premises raided by the police were set up for 'maximum cannabis cultivation' – officers believe the organised crime group spent £70,000 on cultivation. Detectives recovered 392 cannabis plants from the ground floor, 740 plants from the first floor, and 146 plants from the top floor. Mr Cameron added: 'If the cannabis cultivated was sold in one eighth deals, that would amount to approximately 164,920 deals at £40 per deal. This would have yielded approximately £6,596,800. 'STOP officers offer the opinion that the accused was trusted by an organised crime group which had invested in the production of the cannabis and would have yielded significant sums from its onward sales.' Lord Scott remanded Gjuraj in custody ahead of a sentencing hearing next month. Lord Scott told the accused he needed to obtain a report on his background before he could proceed to sentence. He said: 'You have pleaded guilty to a very serious charge. A prison sentence is inevitable here. 'This was clearly a vey significant drugs operation carried out on behalf of an organised crime group. 'The agreed narrative tells me that you must have been a person trusted by the serious organised crime group.' Gjuraj will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on June 19. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scottish Sun
28-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Inside £6m Scots weed factory run by illegal immigrant in former WH Smith store
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAN who paid £20,000 to come illegally to Britain became a key player in a £6 million cannabis factory located on a busy Scots high street, a court heard. Petrit Gjuraj, 24, was arrested after police nabbed him at a former branch of WH Smith on High Street, Kirkcaldy, in 2022. 4 A weed farm was set up in a former WH Smith store Credit: YouTube/Shepherd Chartered Surveyors 4 Police Scotland found a total of 1,330 cannabis plants Credit: Getty (stock image) 4 The criminals set up CCTV in the former stationery store Credit: YouTube/Shepherd Chartered Surveyors The High Court in Edinburgh heard how officers who searched the three-storey building found a total of 1,330 cannabis plants, which were being grown on every floor. Workers slept in a small area which consisted of three double mattresses. The court also heard detectives also found a large TV which showed live CCTV footage from a camera located at the back of the premises which focused on the back door. Drugs squad officers found the cannabis being grown there could have netted the organised crime group responsible for the plant a total of £6,596,800. On Wednesday, judge Lord Scott heard about the moment police arrested Gjuraj, an Albanian national. Prosecutor Alan Cameron KC said: 'Police Scotland received intelligence that cannabis was being cultivated within the three storey, disused premises at 183-187 High Street, Kirkcaldy. 'Police cars arrived at the front and rear of the premises to search them. Police cars arrived at the front and rear of the premises. 'The accused and three other males were seen from the police helicopter exiting onto the roof of the building via a fire escape and running west along the roof of he adjacent building via a fire escape and running west along the roof the adjacent building. 'It became apparent to officers that the males had no means of escape. After the males made a few attempts to conceal themselves, they were observed to be engaging with the officers and a ladder was requested. 'The males descended the ladder in turn nd were detained by the officers on the street.' Brit teen facing life in prison after being 'caught with 14kg of cannabis' in her luggage after huge airport arrest The story emerged after Gjuraj, of Paisley, Renfrewshire, pleaded guilty to being concerned in cultivating cannabis at the premises between March and May 2022. According to Google Maps, the premises raided by police used to be occupied by a branch of WH Smith. A branch of clothing giants New Look was once located close by as was a branch of Waterstones. Mr Cameron told the court that the accused told police that he had paid a person in Albania £20,000 to come to the UK. 4 An illegal immigrant ran a cannabis farm inside a WH Smith in Kirkcaldy Credit: Google Mr Cameron added: 'The arrangement was that should he not carry out the work then his family in Albania would have to sell their property to repay the debt. 'He made his own way to Belgium and then hid in a lorry and by hiding in the lorry was able to enter the UK. 'He worked in London before moving to Scotland where he worked for two months in the building where he was subsequently found by the police. 'He is an Albanian national who has no legal entitlement to be in the UK. "The usual national referral mechanism checks were made with the Home Office and it was determined he had not ben trafficked.' The court heard that the premises raided by the police were set up for 'maximum cannabis cultivation' - officers reckon the OCG spent £70,000 on cultivation. Detectives recovered 392 cannabis plants from the ground floor, 740 plants from the first floor and 146 plants from the top floor. Mr Cameron added: 'If the cannabis cultivated was sold in one eighth deals that would amount to approximately 164,920 deals at £40 per deal. This would have yielded approximately £6,596,800. 'STOP officers offer the opinion the accused was trusted by an organised crime group which had invested in the production of the cannabis and would have yielded significant sums from its onward sales.' Lord Scott remanded Gjuraj, in custody ahead of a sentencing hearing next month. Lord Scott told the accused he needed to obtain report on his background before he could proceed to sentence. He said: 'You have pleaded guilty to a very serious charge. A prison sentence is inevitable here. 'This was clearly a very significant drugs operation carried out on behalf of an organised crime group. 'The agreed narrative tells me that you must have been a person trusted by the serious organised crime group.' Gjuraj will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on June 19 2025.
