A man has been jailed for five years after police seized around £400,000 worth of cannabis from an address in East Yorkshire.

Rakip Karanxha, 45, of Butterfly Meadows in Molescroft, Beverley, was found guilty of the offence after a three-day trial at Grimsby Crown Court on Friday (June 7).  

Officers noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from the property in North Bar Without, Beverley, on Wednesday, December 21, 2021, Humberside Police said.

Inside they found a large-scale cannabis grow consisting of six rooms filled with cannabis plants as well as others containing growing equipment.

A man was also present at the address, arrested at the scene, and later convicted and sentenced for 12 months for the production of cannabis, a police spokesperson said.

Officers, during their search of the building, also discovered a concealed door which led directly into the storeroom of the premises next door - a restaurant, which Karanxha was the manager of.

An investigation was launched and found that the electrics at the property had also been tampered with, potentially creating a fire risk to the building and those in the area.

Karanxha was arrested in February 2022 on suspicion of the production of cannabis.

Karanxha 'showed no remorse for his crimes' - police

PC Karl Freeman, from Humberside Police, said Karanxha "showed no remorse for his crimes, refusing to admit what he had done”.

“This was a huge cannabis grow containing over 350 live cannabis plants with an estimated street value of around £395,000 as well as an estimated £2680 worth of dried cannabis,” he said.

“The impact that the drugs trade, and the crime that often comes with it, can have on a community should not be underestimated and I am pleased that this huge haul of drugs will now never see our streets.”

PC Freeman added that Karanxha was “willing to go to great lengths to conceal his crimes”, explaining: “When officers returned six days later to conduct further enquiries and searches, they found the connecting door they had initially discovered had been obstructed by large kitchen appliances.

“The investigation also found Karanxha had numerous communications with the man arrested inside the premises in December 2021, and forensics also found him to be linked to the cannabis grow.

“I am reassured that he is now facing significant time behind bars, unable to continue to deceive anyone and commit offences

“We are committed to taking action against anyone who chooses to harm our community through crime and will continue to do everything in our power to put offenders before the courts.”

Humberside Police urges anyone with information about drug offences or crime in their area to call its non-emergency line 101 and 999 in an emergency or if a crime is taking place