Warsop man jailed after caught hiding in loft after cannabis grow discovery
A Warsop man has been jailed after police found him hiding in a loft above a cannabis factory.
Officers discovered dozens of plants, plant pots and walls lined with plastic when they attended the home in Clumber Street, Warsop, on January 21, 2024.
They also detained 26-year-old Vitalijus Liutkus after he was found hiding in darkness behind boxes and loft insulation.
Liutkus, of Clumber Street, pleaded guilty to cultivating a Class B drug and was jailed for 10 months when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday, April 9.
Inspector Kylie Davies, district commander for Mansfield, said: “Although officers attended this address on unrelated matters, it quickly became clear the property was being used to cultivate cannabis on a large scale.
“This was putting neighbouring homes at risk in many different ways.
“Cannabis production is invariably linked to wider, organised criminality and unsuspecting neighbouring families are often put at risk by rival criminal gangs if they target the crop to steal the plants.
“Vulnerable people are also often exploited and forced by organised crime groups to stay at the properties – often in dangerous and unsanitary conditions – to tend to the plants.
“I would urge anyone who believes cannabis is being produced in their neighbourhood to get in touch. Your information could be crucial in enabling us to take positive action.”
Contact Nottinghamshire Police if you're concerned about drug-related crime in your area or think someone may be a victim of drug exploitation, by calling 101.
If it's an emergency, call 999.