Huge cannabis factory with over 2,000 plants dismantled in Southampton as three men plead guilty

Over 2,000 plants were seized by police and are earmarked for destruction.

Officers located the production site in a warehouse last Friday.

Police arrested the occupants after entering the building in Millbank Street, Southampton.

Enquiries have been ongoing since and the site cordoned off, so the drug operation could be destroyed.

Rezart Selami, 29, Alfred Mamoci, 35, and Selami Lugja, 31, all pleaded guilty to producing a controlled drug of class B – cannabis – at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

They are remanded in prison and will appear before Southampton Crown Court on November 15.

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Superintendent Phil Lamb, district commander for Southampton, said: ‘This factory is one of the largest found in the city and by dismantling it, we have disrupted the organised crime groups that exploit and cause harm across our communities.

‘Some might say cannabis is only a bit of drugs, but what production of this scale brings is exploitation of adults and children, serious violence, weapons and firearms.

‘If you think drug production is happening in your neighbourhood, please report it so we can carry on making our city a safer place to live.’