Two men jailed after cannabis factory uncovered in Haverhill
Over 400 plants found in commercial property after pair spotted on CCTV acting suspiciously.
Two men have been sentenced after pleading guilty to operating a cannabis factory in Haverhill.
Kristian Qafa, 24, of no fixed address, and Armand Ara, 28, of Redhill Avenue, Barnsley, were sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on Tuesday, 26 August after admitting to being concerned in the production of cannabis.
Ara was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay a £187 victim surcharge, while Qafa received a six-month sentence and a £154 surcharge.
The convictions follow an incident in the early hours of Monday, 28 July, when the pair were spotted on CCTV acting suspiciously behind a building on High Street, Haverhill. Officers responded and discovered a large-scale cannabis grow inside a commercial property, containing 419 plants.
Both men were arrested at the scene and taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre, where they were later charged with producing a controlled drug and abstraction of electricity.
PC Owen Smith from the Haverhill Response Investigation Team said:
“These outcomes clearly reflect Suffolk Constabulary's commitment to disrupting organised criminal activity and proactively targeting those who seek to harm our communities through the supply of illegal drugs.”