Man who ran large-scale £450,000 cannabis farm from home jailed

A man who was operating a large-scale cannabis farm with drugs worth £450,000 from his Warrington home has been jailed.

Francesco Vrapi appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday 30 September where he was sentenced to six months in prison. He was also ordered to pay a £187 victim surcharge and there was a destruction order for the drugs.

The 31-year-old of Ludlow Close, Padgate, Warrington, had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to cannabis cultivation and abstracting electricity.
The case began on Tuesday 4 June, after officers received intelligence which led to a warrant being conducted at Vrapi’s home address in Warrington.

A large cannabis farm was found inside the address, consisting of 458 cannabis plants, and Vrapi was arrested at the scene.
Following analysis, the drugs seized were priced at an estimated value of £450,000.

Vrapi stated no comment throughout questioning, but as a result of the evidence gathered against him, he was charged in connection with the cannabis farm.
Following his sentencing, PC Jen Harrison, of the Northern Problem Solving Team, said: “Vrapi was running a professional cannabis farm, this wasn’t simply just a few cannabis plants, the whole building had been fitted out with the thousands of pound worth of equipment to maximise the potential yield.
“Thankfully, we were able to seize all of these plants and prevent them from being sold on the streets of Warrington, and Vrapi is now being held accountable for his actions behind bars.
“While this site has now been closed, and all of the equipment destroyed, we urge residents to remain vigilant and anyone who suspects this activity is happening near them to come forward and tell us about it.”

There are a number of signs that could indicate that a property is being used as a cannabis farm, including:
• A strong and sickly-sweet smell
• Equipment to grow cannabis being taken into a property, such as lighting and ventilation equipment.
• Constantly covered or blocked-off windows – cannabis farms often have constantly closed curtains, black-out blinds, or foil coverings.
• People coming and going at all hours or neighbours you never see.
• Strong and constant lighting day and night.
• High levels of heat and condensation – cannabis farms often give off heat and the windows stay misted up.
• A constant buzz of ventilation – listen out for a whirring sound as the growers try to create an ideal climate for cannabis plants to grow.
• Lots of power cables – offenders often dig underground to lay cables that hook up to things like lamp posts so they do not have to pay for the enormous amounts of electricity they use.
To report a suspected cannabis farm or any other type of drug-related offence, call us 101, give the details via the Cheshire Police website or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Police body cam footage of the raid can be viewed on Youtube below.