A MAN was busted growing cannabis which could be worth up to £140,000 in an outbuilding he was renting in Pembrokeshire.
Sergejs Zakacura pleaded guilty last week on the day he was due to stand trial for an offence of producing cannabis at a property in Monkton.
Georgia Donohue, appearing for the defendant, told the court the basis on which Zakacura pleaded guilty.
“He was not responsible for buying or setting up the equipment in the building,” she said.
“His role was as a gardener.
“It was another person’s operation. He would look after the plants and follow their instructions.”
Prosecutor Hannah George said Zakacura’s guilty plea was acceptable as the basis could not be proved or disproved to the requisite standard.
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Officers attended an address on India Row on February 3. There were several outbuildings on the land which had been rented out to people – one of which was Zakacura.
Inside a building adjoining the outbuilding rented by the defendant, officers found a fully-equipped cannabis grow room.
A total of 150 cannabis plants were seized, and Ms George said these could have produced a yield with a street value of £140,000 if sold in one gram deals.
They also found the electricity metre had been bypassed.
The defendant returned to the address whilst the police were there. He had only his keys on him, and said he had left his mobile phone in a shop.
On his car keys were two other keys which fitted the locks for where the grow room was discovered.
The outbuilding Zakacura rented was searched, and his phone was found.
“That was downloaded and there was a contact saved under the contact name ‘Drugs’,” Ms George said.
However, Ms Donohue said: “He tells me that that word is actually the Russian word for ‘friend’. He couldn’t enter it in Russian with the [English] keyboard.”
The defendant was arrested and was interviewed the next day. It was found that he was on bail at the time.
Swansea Crown Court heard that the defendant had nine previous convictions for 16 offences, although none of these were for drug-related offences.
“The basis is he was acting as a gardener under the instruction of another,” Ms Donohue said.
“He has worked his entire life since he has been in this country.
“He has settled status having come here legally in 2011.
“He has taken his time in prison and used it positively.”
Zakacura was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison. A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing will be held on November 1.
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