FOUR men have been jailed at the conclusion of a trial which followed an armed police operation in Grays on a cannabis-growing plant in the industrial heart of the town.

Cannabis worth around £100,000 was discovered in a premises on the Globe Industrial Estate on 3 June this year.

Officers found total of 230 plants of varying maturity on two sites with a total weight of drugs of around 46kg.

Police officers in numbers raided premises on the Globe Industrial Estate.

A number people were arrested and four men have now been jailed having been convicted of being concerned in the production of cannabis:

From left: Pashk Gjonaj, Albest Deda, Besjan Mustafaj and Ervin Sadikaj.

• Ervin Sadikaj, 34, of Langley Crescent, Dagenham was jailed for four years and eight months;
• Besjan Mustafaj, 32, of Booth Road, North Woolwich was jailed for four years;
• Albest Deda, 27, of Lymington Road, Dagenham was jailed for three years;
• Pashk Gjonaj, 32, of no fixed address was also jailed for three years.

The sentencing took place at Basildon Crown Court on Friday, 31 October.

Detective Sergeant David Crane said: "Drugs are a poison in our communities that destroy lives. Where cannabis is being illegally grown and sold, violence and exploitation often follows.

"The illegal trade in cannabis causes a huge amount of misery with the most vulnerable people in our communities often being the most affected.

"We will never apologise for targeting those responsible and bringing them to justice.

"The community plays a really important part in this work. If you have concerns or information about the sale of drugs in your neighbourhood please contact us.

Inside the premises.

"Even if you don't see action by us immediately it doesn't mean we're not looking into it. Your information helps us build a picture of what is happening across the county, it helps us progress investigations and build intelligence and a case which can then lead to warrants being executed down the line.

"It's really valuable and we're always really grateful for it."