An illegal immigrant from Albania has been jailed after being caught by police at a cannabis farm in Oldham.

Renato Zykaj, 23, of Lynn Street, Oldham was sentenced to nine months in prison at Minshull Street Crown Court on Wednesday (January 4) after pleading guilty to the production of cannabis.

Prosecutor Colette Renton told the court that on August 10, 2021 police stormed a terraced house on Oxford Street in Oldham as part of a drugs raid and discovered cannabis plants spread across three floors and Zykaj at the property, who was arrested at the scene.

Officers seized a total of 79 plants from the ground floor, first floor, and loft and found cannabis growing paraphernalia including fertiliser. The house was fitted with lighting, heating, and ventilation systems.

The court heard how Zykaj, originally from Albania, paid money to enter the UK as an illegal immigrant in April 2021 and borrowed £5,000 from another Albanian.

Zykaj was working on the cannabis farm to pay off the debt and was paid £300 to live off per week with the debtor threatening he would kill him if the debt was not paid off, the prosecution said.

In mitigation, defence barrister Neil Ronan said Zykaj had no previous convictions and was not earning enough in construction to live off and pay for the medical care his parents were receiving.

He added that Zykaj committed the offence to “look after his family at home” and has a low risk of reoffending with “no desire to be in prison again”.

Passing sentence Recorder Jeremy Lasker acknowledged that Zykaj pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and had no previous convictions.

He said that since arriving in the UK Zykaj had been employed in “black economy, cash in hand, illegitimate jobs” and cultivated cannabis to “finance the debts” he had accrued.

He added that Zykaj was “not a victim of modern slavery” and had “voluntarily” entered into an agreement.

Addressing Zykaj he said: “You say you had no idea what was going to happen to the cannabis after cultivation, but you must have realised it may have been a commercial operation and the only purpose for the cultivation was for the eventual sale to others.”

Recorder Lasker added that although Zykaj cultivated plants for others and had no influence on those above him he did not commit the offence as a result of “naivety, immaturity, or exploitation” and played a “significant role” in terms of culpability.