Three men facing jail terms after £1.8m cannabis factory discovered at derelict Irvine shopping centre

Three men are facing lengthy jail terms after police uncovered a £1.8m cannabis factory at a derelict shopping centre.

Two of the Albanian trio had previously been ordered to be deported from the UK, with one managing to return after he had been kicked out.

Elton Skenderi, 30, Gjovalin Toma, 31, and Eduard Daja, 39, appeared in the dock at the High Court in Glasgow.

They all admitted being involved in the production of the class B drug after thousands of plants were seized in September 2024.

The three were warned to expect lengthy jail terms when they are sentenced next month.

A judge told them they had come to Scotland “to receive the benefits available from living here” and repaid that with “criminality on an industrial scale”.

The cannabis factory had been set up in shuttered units at the disused former Forum Shopping Centre in Irvine, Ayrshire.

Police had been tipped off by Scottish Power, which had concerns about “energy use” at the premises.

Prosecutor Stewart Ronnie: “Entry was forced, and a large cannabis cultivation was discovered over two floors.”

It was the same sophisticated set-up in neighbouring units, which police also raided.

There had been a barricaded door to try to stop the authorities from entering, and CCTV was rigged up outside.

There was also what was described as “living quarters,” which included a bedroom, a cooking area, an electric heater, and tables and chairs.

Photos shown to judge Lord Mulholland also showed clothes hanging up, toiletries lying around and pictures on a wall.

A total of 3,058 cannabis plants were seized.

Mr Ronnie said the drugs had a value of between £611,600 and £1,834,800.

During the probe into who was involved, officers spoke to a witness who had regularly spotted “several foreign males” turning up at the shopping centre in the early hours most days of the week.

A white van would often roll up, and the men would be seen with “heavy black bin liner bags”.

Skenderi and Toma were held that night after trying to run from police. They were said to be smelling of cannabis.

Daja was caught the next day after being spotted leaving a fire exit at the shopping centre.

He claimed to have been sleeping in the building.

Fingerprint and forensic evidence linked Skenderi and Daja to the crime scene.

This included DNA from both found on the hair clippers discovered there.

Mr Ronnie said: “At the time of their arrest, all three refused to provide information relevant as to whether they were victims of human trafficking.”

The advocate depute gave further background on the trio.

Daja was sentenced to eight months for a similar offence in May 2023 at Leeds Crown Court.

He was served with a deportation order and was returned to Tirana in Albania in July 2023 under the Facilitated Returns Scheme.

This programme was set up in 2006 to make the removal of foreign criminals from the UK easier and at the earliest opportunity.

But, Daja ended up back in the country – not known when – and soon returned to crime.

He admitted to a charge of breaching the order.

Toma also had a previous conviction for cannabis growing. He was sentenced to 14 months in Leeds in 2022.

He was also ordered to be sent back to Albania, but went on to claim asylum and it remains a live case.

Skenderi – like the other two – had no ties to the UK.

Lord Mulholland told the men: “You have all been convicted of drug trafficking. This was no small-time operation.

“You have all come here to receive the benefits available from living here and this is how you treat the country – criminality on an industrial scale.”

They were remanded in custody as sentencing was deferred for reports.