Amarildo Huba jumped from the top floor window of a disused bar in order to escape the clutches of the police
Amarildo Huba(Image: Cheshire Police)
A man’s toothbrush revealed his involvement in a £500,000 drugs plot after he jumped from the top floor window of a former bar in order to escape the clutches of the police. Amarildo Huba was employed as a “gardener” in a “flourishing” industrial scale cannabis farm which had been set up inside the disused business premises.
More than 500 plants were discovered growing within the building when it was raided by officers. The worker subsequently concocted a ludicrous explanation that he had been moving furniture inside the unit and had brushed his teeth while present under orders from his dentist.
Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon, Thursday, that the property in question, on Barbauld Street in Warrington, had been used as a bar until its closure during the summer of 2023. But, on March 19 last year, Cheshire Police executed a search warrant at the address and discovered that all three floors had been converted into a cannabis production facility.
Christopher Taylor, prosecuting, described how a total of 519 “viable” plants were found inside, a crop with an estimated yield of between 14.5kg and 43.5kg and a potential value of £43,500 to £512,880. PCs noted that, while no persons were present at the time, one area of the premises had been used as a makeshift bedroom.
Upon checking CCTV footage, they then discovered that a man had jumped from a window on the upper storey as officers were carrying out the raid. Huba was subsequently linked to the cannabis farm after his DNA was discovered on a toothbrush which was recovered from the building, with one of his fingerprints also being found on a lighting unit.
The 20-year-old, of Roundthorn Road in Oldham, was belatedly arrested in the Manchester area on February 18 this year. Under interview, he told detectives that he had “done some work at the property moving furniture around” and had taken his toothbrush with him “on the recommendation of his dentist”.
Huba instead now claims that he owed a £6,000 debt after being smuggled into UK illegally and therefore agreed to “work as a gardener for a period of two months in a cannabis factory” as he was “feared his family in Albanian would be at risk of reprisals”. He states that he had been doing so for around three weeks at the time he was forced to flee.
The defendant has no previous convictions but received a caution for possession of cocaine with intent to supply following an arrest in London in April 2024. Jim Smith, defending, told the court: “He wishes to return to Albania, although he credits his experience in the United Kingdom as having complemented his life in so far as the friends he has made and his recent partner, who he hopes will join him in Albania.
“He has obviously suffered, owing to his exploitation and the period of incarceration. Given his age and the arrangements undertaken to effectively transport him to this country illegally, he fell under the control of those who he became indebted to.
“He paid off a partial amount of that debt, but they wanted him to repay the remainder more swiftly. He became involved through that process, which led to his incarceration. That has been a salutary lesson to him.”
Huba admitted production of cannabis. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool wearing a grey Calvin Klein t-shirt and assisted by an interpreter, he was handed 15 months in a young offenders’ institute.
Sentencing, Judge Ian Harris said: “For want of a better phrase, this was a very professional growing operation. The plants were very healthy, well tended to and flourishing. I have no doubt that this was a large business enterprise. You were voluntarily part of this business process, albeit as a gardener.
“Cannabis is not a soft drug. It is dangerous. It causes psychosis. It affects individuals and communities and can damage lives irreparably. You were part of an organisation that was producing cannabis on a huge scale.
“You would like to return to Albanian. You will undoubtedly be deported at your point of release, and I know you will welcome that.”