A man who hid from police for eight hours in a loft has been jailed after a “large-scale cannabis factory” was found by police.
Viktor Ymeralilaj, (31), was found hiding in the former registry office on Park Green, Macclesfield, on 19th January.
The building, which consists of a cellar, first and second floors and a loft area, was derelict and had been boarded up for some time, making access inside the property “considerably difficult” said police.
After officers discovered fully-grown cannabis plants at the property they used a thermal heat gun to find Ymeralilaj hiding in the loft.
On Wednesday at Chester Crown Court, Ymeralilaj pleaded guilty to the cultivation of cannabis and was jailed for 16 months.
The court was told that the officers initially found cannabis plants in the derelict building and when they investigated further found the property had been converted into a large-scale cannabis factory, and that a number of people had been living there.
They found fresh food items inside a kitchen area, several beds, a washing machine and items of clothing hung up and drying.
Due to the size of the property, the search continued across the day and, at around 5pm, an officer with a thermal heat gun found Ymeralilaj.
After he was arrested Ymeralilaj told officers he had been held at the cannabis farm against his will by two men who employed him to feed and water the plants. He said that he had last seen these men around three weeks prior to the raid and that he had been locked inside the building to tend to the cannabis ever since.
However, despite his protests, he was subsequently charged with the offence.
PC David Noon, from Cheshire Police, said: “Ymeralilaj told us that he had been held captive at the former registry office on Park Green with no means of escape.
“However, the uncovering of several food items within the kitchen area that were still very much in date proved that someone had definitely been out and done their shop very recently.
“The building had been fully converted into a cannabis factory with living quarters, with the intention of producing the drug on a large scale, and we estimate the approximate street value of the cannabis we found to be worth upwards of £175,000.
“That cannabis has now been destroyed and the closure of this large-scale operation will deal a considerable blow to the local drug trade, which I welcome.
“With that said, we rely on information from the public to help us locate and shut down operations such as this. So, I would urge anyone with any concerns or information about the cultivation or facilitation of drugs in their area to please contact their local beat team and leave the rest to us and our big red keys.”
