Fourth West Midlands man jailed for Suffolk cannabis factories
Arber Dashi, 27, has been sentenced to 39 months in prison for his role in a cannabis production line in Ipswich and Felixstowe worth over £200,000.
Why it matters: The conviction completes the prosecution of an organised crime group that operated sophisticated cannabis cultivation across Suffolk, demonstrating how cross-county criminal networks target the area.
The details: Dashi, of Bromford Rise, Wolverhampton, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to being concerned in the production of cannabis. He was arrested in February following an investigation that began with raids on two Suffolk properties.
The first operation uncovered a three-storey property in London Road, Ipswich, that had been converted into a cannabis factory with seven separate growing areas containing 373 plants. Police found a man hiding in the basement during the April 2024 raid.
A second factory was discovered in Langer Road, Felixstowe, containing 81 cannabis plants after officers stopped a car carrying fertiliser and growing equipment.
The bigger picture: Evidence, including fingerprints and phone messages, connected Dashi to both operations. When arrested in the West Midlands, police found him with a Peugeot key – the car contained pesticides and chemicals used in cannabis cultivation.
Three other gang members have already been sentenced. Bojken Muhametanji received 20 months imprisonment, while Esat Dashi and Thien Le were each sentenced to 33 months in prison in January.
What they're saying: Sergeant Dave Logan, of Sentinel South, said: "The above is a good example of how Sentinel South and SCDT South have worked together to not only secure convictions and shut down two large cannabis grows that had the potential to produce cannabis with a value of over £200,000, but also maximise the opportunities for upstream investigation and take out key members of a cannabis cultivation organised crime gang."
The bottom line: Suffolk police have successfully dismantled an organised crime network that was exploiting the county for large-scale drug production, with all four members now serving prison sentences totalling more than 10 years.
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