Pair jailed for nearly three years over cannabis farm in Felixstowe

Two men have been jailed for their part in a cannabis farm which was uncovered in Felixstowe.

Esat Dashi and Thien Le each received 33-month jail terms when they appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday.

Dashi was driving a car which was stopped in the town by members of Suffolk Police’s Sentinel South team in June.

A search of the vehicle uncovered fertiliser, gloves and several storage bags.

Dashi’s phone contained details of a premises in Langer Road and it was there, during a search, that officers uncovered 81 cannabis plants and cultivated cannabis.

Also in the property was Thien Le, 41, of no fixed address.

He and Dashi, 27, of Willenhall, West Midlands, were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the production of cannabis.

Both raised a defence of modern-day slavery during interview.

Dashi entered an early guilty plea, while Le admitted the offence on the second day of his trial.

Sgt Dave Logan, of the Sentinel South team, said: “The sophistication of these cannabis grows meant that the local community and the police were unaware of its existence.

“Having our proactive Sentinel teams patrolling Suffolk’s road networks, means we can target suspicious vehicles and uncover the clues within, leading us to find addresses used in crime.

“Fast time investigation and professional curiosity led to these arrests and the work completed to get this ready for trial led to two guilty pleas.”