An illegal immigrant caught by police working at a cannabis factory in the Black Country will be deported to Albania.
Bajram Ruci, 28, had been spotted by authorities walking barefoot outside the ‘weed farm’ in Smethwick, West Midlands, after police had found photo ID in his sleeping area during a raid of the property.
Ruci initially gave the police fake details before sharing his real identity when questioned again.
The 28-year-old said he had been growing the class B drug for two Nigerian men who had been “exploiting” him.
Smethwick, West Mids, where Ruci was spotted by police
Jonathan Billinger via Geograph
He detailed how he was allowed to leave the factory, but the two men had attacked him for trying.
Ruci told Wolverhampton Crown Court he was trying to pay off a £7,000 debt in Albania, where he worked in construction, and had been “transported” from Germany to London to Smethwick.
He had been working at the drug den for around two months before his arrest, and had illegally entered the UK five months prior, said Phillip Brunt, defending.
Brunt said: “He has family back in Albania who are ill – he just wants to go home now.”
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Another cannabis farmer, Clirim Kujaj, was spared deportation after successfully arguing he would not be able to reintegrate into Albania
Cambridgeshire ConstabularyRuci, who had no previous convictions in the UK, admitted to cultivating cannabis and was jailed for 12 months, and has since signed a Home Office document agreeing to his deportation.
At the sentencing, Recorder Brown said immigration authorities will decide when to deport Ruci.
Prosecutor Amy Jackson told the hearing there was no forensic report or exact details on the quantity or value of the cannabis plants that were seized, but said there were “at least 50”.
About 200 cannabis plants worth an estimated £200,000 were found, police had said previously.
About 200 cannabis plants worth an estimated £200,000 were found (stock images)
PA
Ruci’s planned deportation should be a straightforward affair, as the 28-year-old does not have British citizenship.
However, there have been a number of high-profile cases involving foreign-born criminals with British passports successfully appealing against deportation.
Another cannabis farmer, Clirim Kujaj, was spared after successfully arguing he would not be able to reintegrate into Albania as he no longer spoke his native language.
Earlier this year, the then-Deputy Chair of the Conservatives, Lee Anderson, blamed MPs including Labour leader Keir Starmer for setting a “precedent” of not deporting dual-nationality criminals like Albanian crime boss Gjelosh Kolicaj.