Man who came to UK in back of lorry jailed over £500,000 cannabis farm

A man who came to the UK in the back of a lorry before being involved in a £500,000 cannabis farm has been jailed for four years.

Xhonildo Baki, 28, was caught at the abandoned former inland revenue office in Kirn, Argyll and Bute last May.

He was sentenced on Tuesday at the High Court in Glasgow, having earlier admitted to a charge of being concerned in the production of the drug.

Judge Douglas Brown reduced the jail term from five years due to the guilty plea.

Prosecutor John Coogan earlier told the court that police found the three-storey, 20-room property had its windows boarded up and CCTV recently installed.

He added: “During this time, a male (Baki) was seen to leave via the back door, but on seeing the officers, returned inside and locked the door behind him.”

Police went on to force entry and discovered what was described as a “large scale cannabis cultivation”.

Baki was then found hiding in the foundations of a basement area via hole in the ground floor.

Mr Coogan said a total of 889 cannabis plants – at varying stage of growth – were seized.

The court was told the haul had a potential value of £533,400.

Baki – who needed an Albanian interpreter – was quizzed by police.

He stated he had been in the building for an “unspecified job” and had gone there on a “voluntary basis”.

Baki further said he had come to the UK in 2020 in a lorry and that those who had helped him arrive here lived elsewhere.

Paul Mullen, defending, said Baki was “sorry” for getting involved and had shown “genuine remorse”.