A drugs gang was apprehended while setting up a cannabis farm following police intervention in response to a burglary in Bolton.

Officers caught Roland and Klodian Matranxhi, along with Dashamir Rexhmati, at a property on Chorley New Road in Bolton. They were arrested on November 12 last year, and subsequent house raids revealed large quantities of cannabis and cash.

The police seized cannabis worth between £100,000 and £200,000, in addition to £11,000 hidden in a shoe box, from a house on Bradford Road, Huddersfield. Notebooks detailing cannabis cultivation were also found.

The men had already been under police watch since June 14 last year, after £1 million worth of cannabis was discovered in Harpurhey. Evidence from a mobile phone linked Roland to the operation.

On June 15, at Manchester Crown Court, Roland Matranxhi received a four-and-a-half-year sentence, Klodian Matranxhi was sentenced to four years, and Rexhmati to three years.

All three men admitted to conspiracy to cultivate cannabis, production of cannabis, possession with intent to supply, and money laundering. PC Heather Gore highlighted the gang's attempts to evade detection via phone number changes and false documentation.

Police emphasize the risks associated with cannabis cultivation, such as fire hazards, structural damage, and the potential for crime escalation involving violence and exploitation.