By James Connell
Two Albanian cannabis cultivators, Erjon Boshku and Bledar Meta, have been jailed after their involvement in large-scale cannabis production in Worcestershire. The two men were arrested following a police raid on a derelict sweet shop in Droitwich High Street, where officers discovered a massive cannabis operation.
The raid, carried out on June 5, led to the seizure of 604 cannabis plants, valued at over £507,000. The two men, aged 40 and 20, attempted to flee but were caught and detained in the shop’s overgrown backyard. Both men were sentenced at Worcester Crown Court; Boshku received 20 months in prison, while Meta was handed a 16-month sentence for cannabis production.
This bust was part of a wider operation targeting cannabis cultivation across Worcestershire. The Neighbourhood Crime Fighting Team (NCFT), formed in July 2023, led the raids, which have resulted in over 2,000 cannabis plants being seized and destroyed, with an estimated street value of £1.85 million. The cultivators are now at risk of deportation, as all six involved in the raids are Albanian nationals and received sentences over 12 months.
Other raids earlier this year in Hanbury and on an Eardiston trading estate led to the seizure of additional cannabis plants, demonstrating the region’s ongoing fight against illegal drug production. Officers vow to continue hitting dealers ‘where it hurts’ and disrupt the illicit drug trade in the community.
