Men jailed for running commercial cannabis farms

Six men have been sentenced to long spells in prison for their involvement in running five commercial cannabis farms across West Yorkshire.

Armand Hysa, 24, Klevis Hysa, 29, Kosta Dumani, 42, Selman Hysa, 44, Admir Cerpja, 43, and Klodian Bofja, 26, all pleaded guilty to their involvement in managing a series of cannabis grows at four business premises and one residential property.

Between 2024 and 2025 the gang grew cannabis with a street value of more than £3m.

At a hearing earlier, Leeds Crown Court was told each of the men had a specific role, with Armand Hysa and his uncle Selman Hysa leading the operation "shoulder to shoulder", said Judge Ray Singh.

Prosecutor Robert Stevenson said police seized cash, clothes and vehicles from Selman Hysa including a Range Rover, Porsche and Mercedes G Wagon worth £150,000.

At another address they found £25,000 in cash and £2,000 in a child's school uniform as well as several Rolex watches.

Judge Singh told Hysa: "The vast personal wealth you had compared to the others shows you were making a significant profit out of this enterprise."

The court heard Selman Hysa also had a previous conviction for cannabis production from 2015.

Singh said: "You were in contact with owners of properties at which the cannabis farms were situated and you were one of the main individuals involved in this enterprise."

He added Selman's nephew Armand was "right in the thick of it alongside your uncle and had a responsibility for the sale and sourcing of cannabis".

He also found Klevis Hysa had come close to having a lead role and was a "willing and enthusiastic conspirator".

Kosta Dumani and Admir Cerpja were found to have had significant roles while Klodian Bofja was found to have been operating as a gardener at just one of the farms found by police.

On 3 October 2024, police raided 192 Alverthorpe Road, a mid-terrace house in Wakefield, were they found it had been "completely kitted out to cultivate cannabis", Stevenson said.

Police found 96 cannabis plants and a large holdall with 20kg of vacuum packed cannabis, with a street value of £70,000.

The Albanian gang also operated from Newgate House in Pontefract, a former office block converted into a multi-room cannabis factory, with eight grow rooms, heat lamps, transformers, fans and extraction equipment.

At a raid on 8 October 2024 police found 250kg of cannabis, which would have sold for £875,000 wholesale and had a street value of £2.5m.

Police found a well-stocked kitchen, three beds and evidence of people living in the premises. They also found a Armand Hysa's DNA on a glove within the property.

On 19 February officers executed a search warrant of a property at 17a Wakefield Commercial Park in Horbury.

Stevenson said: "The site presented as a mechanic's garage but did not appear generally active.

"A vehicle was parked to hide a room that when revealed was found to be fully lined with plastic sheets."

In the property's loft 17 cannabis plants and 1.7kg of produced cannabis was found with a street value of £18,000.

Police also found a "large and sophisticated" cannabis site at Unit 8 Beckbridge Industrial Estate, Normanton, on 19 March, according to Stevenson.

They searched an operating garage and discovered cannabis production behind the garage offices as well as recently cropped and living plants.

During the raid three people were seen running across the roof and were caught by officers and identified as Klevis Hysa, Kosta Dumani and Klodian Bofja.

Police found 209 juvenile plants, 14kg of vacuum packed cannabis and 22kg of grown cannabis plants.

On 9 April 2024 police raided a fifth property at former social club Moldgreen Top in Huddersfield.

Officers found 983 plants and a hatch leading to a cellar grow area and upstairs nursery as well as living quarters. They seized 100kg of cannabis with a £1m street value.

Bofja was sentenced to eight months in custody, while Cerpja was given 23.5 months and Dumani received 24 months - all of no fixed abode.

The judge found Klevis Hysa, of no fixed above, was sentenced to 27 months.

Armand Hysa, of Doncaster Road, Wakefield, was given 32 months and Selman Hysa, of Field Lane, Wakefield, received the longest sentence of 39 months.

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