Albanian brothers behind £3m cannabis factory in West Calder jailed
Two brothers have been remanded in custody after admitting running cannabis farms worth more than £3 million.
Armend and Eli Abrahimi - aged 28 and 30 - were caught after police raided an industrial unit in West Calder, West Lothian, in September 2024 following reports of a strong smell of cannabis.
Officers found the building’s windows had been blacked out and the electrics tampered with. Inside, they uncovered a sophisticated cultivation set-up, including lighting rigs, air filters and ventilation systems.
The High Court in Glasgow heard a total of 733 plants were recovered from the unit - with a potential value of nearly £3 million.
There were also areas used as living quarters, along with storage for equipment.
Cash, paperwork and a mobile phone linking the brothers to the site were seized - while Armend Abrahimi’s DNA was found on a thermometer.
Prosecutor Ali Murray told the court the operation appeared to have been carried out by “skilled growers with prior experience”.
The brothers were arrested in January 2025 at separate addresses in Falkirk. Officers also discovered keys to another property, where a second cannabis farm was later uncovered.
A further 160 plants were found there, with an estimated value of more than £50,000. Armend Abrahimi’s fingerprints and DNA were also linked to that address.
The court heard both men are originally from Albania. At the time of their arrest, both were classed as liable to be removed from the UK, with Eli Abrahimi described as an immigration offender and failed asylum seeker.
He had also previously been convicted of possessing cocaine with intent to supply.
Both men pleaded guilty to the charges.
Lord Arthurson remanded them in custody, with sentencing deferred until June.