Estate agent and four associates convicted over network of cannabis factories

Five people have been convicted of more than 23 offences, after Bedfordshire Police uncovered a network of cannabis factories discovered across the county.

The force’s Operation Costello team, which tackles serious and organised crime, launched an investigation into Condor Estates after the estate agency company was discovered to be linked to a number of cannabis factories across Luton.

Warrants conducted at 20 properties, 19 in Luton and one in Milton Keynes, found cannabis factories were located at all of these properties.

Sarfraz Farooq, 46, of St Catherines Avenue, Luton, was the director of Condor Estates, and the properties identified as cannabis factories were all linked to the company. He was entrusted with letting properties by genuine landlords, and allowed them to be let as cannabis factories.

Following enforcement at the Condor Estates offices, officers discovered a large amount of fraudulent documentation, some of this had had been utilised to complete fraudulent tenancy agreements for properties found to be cannabis factories.

Uan Gogu, 42, of Wychwood Avenue, Luton, was involved in setting up and managing the cannabis factories provided by Farooq.

He used third parties to purchase equipment and bypassed electricity at the properties.

Also enabling the criminality was Zohaib Riaz Ali, 33, of Biscot Road, Luton, who made purchases of hydroponic equipment and Mohammed Farooq, 76, of St Catherines Avenue, who purchased a property with cash, which was then found to be being used as a cannabis factory.

Yesterday (Wednesday), following a trial at Luton Crown Court, Sarfraz Farooq, Zohaib Riaz Ali and Mohammed Farooq were found guilty of a total of 17 offences in relation to their parts in the organised criminal investigation.

Glentjan Sefaj, 29, of Latimer Drive Hornchurch, had previously pleaded guilty for his role in carrying out gardening works at the cannabis factory discovered at the property which had been purchased by Mohammed Farooq.  

Detective Sergeant Tracey Joyce said; “We are continuing to crackdown on organised criminal networks, and these five men are the latest to be dealt with by the courts as part of our ongoing commitment to clamp down on those who enable large scale drug production.

“Operation Costello takes a strong approach to tackling organised crime by targeting everyone involved, from those running large scale illegal cannabis cultivation, to the professional enablers who support criminal groups by supplying materials or allowing their premises to be used, and make financial gain from it.

"Professional enablers are individuals who help facilitate organised crime groups, such as estate agents who locate properties for use for cannabis factories, those who create fraudulent documentation and money launderers.

“Organised crime and cannabis cultivation has a huge impact on the community, and underpins much of the antisocial behaviour and serious violence we seen in our neighbourhoods.

"We need the community to partner with us on this goal by reporting what they see and spotting the signs of a cannabis factory. Signs include strong odours, covered windows, condensation.”

For more information about Operation Costello and how to spot the signs a property could be being used as a cannabis factory, visit this page.