Four men arrested following the discovery of an “industrial-scale” cannabis factory on an isolated Suffolk business park have been given jail sentences totalling more than nine years.
Sentencing the men, Judge Emma Peters said: "It is obvious this was a very professional set up."
Police officers who went to huts at the business park in Great Bricett with a search warrant in October last year discovered 2,758 cannabis plants at various stages of maturity, Ipswich Crown Court heard.
Joe Bird, prosecuting, said the plants had been assessed by an expert as having a potential value of between £462,000 and £1.8 million.
He described the set up as an "industrial-scale cannabis factory" designed for repeated harvests.
The court heard that during their search of the premises officers discovered a 200m trench containing cables to abstract electricity from a nearby caravan park.
Before the court were Ovidijus Urbonas, 41, of King's Cross Road, London, Egidijus Ivoskus, 42, Karolis Gumauskas, 26, and Mindaugas Ivoskus, 27, all of no fixed address.
They all admitted being concerned in the production of cannabis between October 1 and October 19 last year.
Mindaugas Ivoskus was jailed for 42 months and Egidijus Ivoskus and Gumauskas were each jailed for 24 months.
Urbonas was jailed for 20 months. A 65-year-old man, who was also arrested in connection with the incident, was initially released on police bail but has subsequently been released under investigation pending further enquiries.
Detective Inspector Mark Pollikett of Suffolk police said: "This was one of the largest cannabis factory finds in Suffolk in recent years and the overall yield from the plants from within the buildings would have been substantial.
"We continually work to disrupt such illegal factories because of the harm they cause and the associated criminal acts which go hand in hand with the running of these illegal operations.
"The combined sentence handed down today demonstrates that anyone involved in the supply of drugs will not be treated lightly by the courts and we will continue to work to ensure that Suffolk is a hostile place for this type of criminality."
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