Two men jailed after £600,000 of cannabis seized

Police arrested one of the men at a property where cannabis plants were being grown

Two men have been jailed after 500 cannabis plants worth £600,000 and weapons were seized from properties around Doncaster.

Karolis Balandzius, 33, and Ervin Gremshi, 41, were jailed for a combined total of nearly 18 months at Sheffield Crown Court last week.

Balandzius was arrested at a property in Conisbrough that had CCTV cameras built into flower pots, South Yorkshire Police said.

Sgt Christopher Macleod said the cannabis production was linked to organised crime groups responsible for gang violence, exploitation and spreading fear.

He said: "By dismantling these set-ups, we disrupt these criminal networks' revenue streams and tackle wider issues such as illegal migration, violent crime and the exploitation of vulnerable people.

"We also keep our communities safe from harm as the size and nature of these cannabis factories often pose a fire risk to neighbouring properties due to the unlawful abstraction of electricity."

Last Wednesday, Balandzius was jailed for 225 days after admitting producing a Class B drug.

Gremshi, of Park Road, Mexborough, was arrested and pleaded guilty to being concerned in the production of a Class B drug.

He was jailed for 10 months at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday.

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