Albanian jailed after being caught in Irvine cannabis farm

Though Sadik Marku, described as being in the UK illegally, was jailed after watering plants during the one occasion he visited the Neil Avenue cultivation.

The 35-year-old pleaded guilty to one charge of being concerned in the supplying of the Class B drug when he appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court earlier this week.

He was ordered to spend 18 months behind bars for his brief role in upkeeping the 180-plant farm.

Marku was caught out in January of last year after police executed search warrants at the Irvine flat, prosecutor Amber Feeney told the court.

"Within the locus there was a well-established cannabis cultivation," the fiscal depute added.

"Within one of the bedrooms there was a large growing area with cultivation equipment and within the second bedroom there was a nursery area with the same equipment.

"There were 170 plants in total while 80 of these were within the nursery."

Cops then conducted further enquiries to establish who had been within the property when they discovered a neighbouring home which had a doorbell camera.

Footage from this was seized which showed that Marku had visited on December 29, 2024, alongside another male.

He was seen to be carrying a green bag when he entered and was once again in possession of this as he left three hours later.

An officer was able to identify the 35-year-old from the video and the Albanian was traced in May last year when he attended Govan police office in relation to another matter.

He was then questioned in respect of the cultivation and provided no comment whilst assisted by an interpreter.

A DNA specimen was also taken at this time, further linking Marku to the scene as this matched samples found up jogging bottoms and a bottle seized from the flat during the earlier search.

Some 170 plants were found within the flat (Image: Unsplash)

He was then formally cautioned and charged to which he made no reply.

"He has been in this country approaching four years," Marku's solicitor told the court. "He has been what could be described as illegally here.

"He has been working at building sites for cash. He was in the Glasgow and Ayrshire area working at the time of offence.

"The flat belonged to friend of a friend, he visited on just one occasion. He went to use the washing machine and had food and sustenance.

"He watered plants when in flat, he did not receive any money but accepts that he did assist with the growing of them and onward supply. He is aware custody can be the only option."

Sentencing, Sheriff Colin Bissett noted the major consequences of Marku's actions.

He commented: “You have pled guilty to a serious offence. Cannabis is classified as a Class B drug – that is because of the effects that it has on people and in some people it can provoke serious mental illness.

“A significant number of the cases we hear in this court involve people dependent on cannabis and that dependence ultimately brings around criminal behaviour.

“The court, therefore, must take a serious view on anyone involved in the supplying of this drug.

“Given your residential status, I am not going to call for background reports, but in any case the amount of drugs involved is a serious amount and the threshold for the imposition of a custodial sentence is well passed.”

Marku was ordered to spend 18 months in prison which was backdated to his initial remand on May 22 last year.