Man jailed for £200k cannabis factory in house

A man who was caught with a cannabis factory inside his home and drugs worth an estimated £200,000 has been jailed.

Police made the discovery at the home of Aldri Pirja in London Road, Worcester, on 8 April earlier this year.

The 22-year-old had been growing a total of 241 plants inside four rooms of the property, according to police.

He was sentenced to 12 months in prison at Worcester Crown Court on Tuesday.

Pirja, who was jailed the day before his 23rd birthday, was convicted of producing a controlled class B substance.

In addition to the prison sentence, he was further subject to an order for the deprivation of drugs, paraphernalia and his phone, and given notice he is liable for deportation on release.

He was also told to pay a victim surcharge cost of £187.

Pirja was the only person living at the property and was arrested there after officers raided it, West Mercia Police said.

He later admitted to growing the cannabis in a police interview.

Det Con Paul Luke said: "This sentencing result concludes our investigation into Pirja's illegal drugs supply enterprise he was running from his home address.

"We hope this result shows we will always act where appropriate on concerns around the supply of illegal drugs in our communities and bring those responsible to justice."

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.