An electrician who turned a vacant Littleport house into a cannabis factory has been jailed after a judge condemned his role in contributing to the harm and distress drugs bring to the community.
Nerijus Valskis, 37, of Bedford, discovered the rented property through a referral for electrical work. With the overseas owner unable to keep an eye on the property, Valskis seized the opportunity to set up a sophisticated grow operation.
Using his technical expertise, Valskis installed a false tenant and illegally diverted the electricity supply. Rent was paid by a third party to hide his involvement, and the house was soon operating as a full-scale cannabis farm.
Concerned residents raised the alarm, and police raided the house just three days after cultivation began. Inside, officers discovered cannabis plants, growing equipment, cash and mobile phones.
Investigations revealed that 40-year-old Ernestas Varnas, a close associate of Valskis, helped manage the grow. He handled critical elements such as humidity and pH control and arranged for Vytoutas Klevinskas, 52, to travel from Lithuania to live in the property and monitor the crops.
The raid came just days after Valskis had received a suspended sentence for a similar offence at another address in Bedford.
At Peterborough Crown Court on 15 April, Valskis was found guilty of producing cannabis and possessing both cannabis and cocaine for personal use. He was sentenced to two years and three months in prison, with his previous suspended sentence also activated.
Varnas received an eight-month suspended sentence for his role, while Klevinskas, who played a minor part in the operation, was handed a four-month suspended sentence and ordered to be deported.
The judge said all three men had played a part in perpetuating the cycle of harm that drug crime causes in local communities.
