Trio caught in £1.3m cannabis factory raid jailed for total of 12 years

Three men caught after a £1.3m cannabis factory raid have been jailed for a total of 12 years.

Ariel Ruko, 24, Giap Ba Thai, 51, and Ervin Guri, 38, were all caught after police swooped at the former Tobacco Warehouse in Greenock, Inverclyde, on June 5, 2025.

The trio were sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday, having earlier admitted to being concerned in the supply of the class B drug.

Lord Mulholland remarked claims from at least one of gang not to know what they were involved in was “absolutely ridiculous” especially given police could smell the drug outside in the street.

The judge told them: “It is inconceivable with such an array of hydroponic equipment and the number of cannabis plants growing in the premises that you were ignorant of the crop you were farming.

“Such a suggestion is an insult to my intelligence.

“This crime is becoming more prevalent and is becoming a problem for our communities in Scotland.

“Let me reiterate that cannabis farming will inevitably attract a substantial sentence of imprisonment.”

The three were each sentenced to four years each – the term cut from five years due to the pleas.

Prosecutor Erin Campbell earlier told how two officers had detected a stench of the drug while walking in the area.

Ms Campbell said: “Police carried out local enquiries and were told by an employee at a (nearby) carpet store that the smell of cannabis had been present for several weeks.”

A raid then later occurred – fans could initially be heard whirring with a number of doors locked from the inside.

The trio, along with a number of other individuals, were held at the disused warehouse.

Ms Campbell stated it became clear there was a “large-scale cannabis cultivation” inside with sophisticated equipment helping grow more than 1,000 plants, as well as dozens of vacuum-sealed bags of the drug being seized.

The court heard the potential value of the haul was around £1.3m.

The advocate depute added it was apparent that people had also been living in the building.

Thai later told police: “I know that I did wrong.”

All three men were first offenders. Ruko and Guri are originally from Albania, while Thai is from Vietnam.

David Taylor, defending Ruko, said he had been in the UK for four years, but had “no status in the country”.

Thai’s lawyer, Scot Dignan, stated he had arrived here via France and had initially taken maintenance jobs.

The advocate said: “He later boarded a train and got off, as he put it, at the end of the line.

“He was met by two males, given a mobile phone and accepted their offer. He lived (at the warehouse).

“He was told he would be paid £1,000 at the end of the process and was then scared when he realised that he was dealing with cannabis.”

Graeme Brown KC said Guri had been “a cleaner” at the drug factory and was aware of what was going on. He had moved to the UK and married a British national.