Two Albanian men jailed following discovery of extensive cannabis factory with 300 plants at former U-Need-Us shop

Police officers attended the former ‘U Need Us’ store in Arundel Street on October 30, 2025 after receiving a call from Scottish & Southern Electricity (SSE) engineers who were trying to cut off the electricity supply to the disused building.

Upon arrival at the scene, officers forced entry after a strong smell of cannabis was noted revealing 300 cannabis plants across the building’s three floors, with a value of £160,000.

A man was also seen on the roof of the building, which could only be accessed from inside, and police arrested two men from the address.

Hassan Dauti, 32, of Arundel Street in Portsmouth and Emiljano Shehi, 40, of no fixed address were charged with cannabis cultivation and knowingly entering the UK without leave. Both men, originally from Albania, pleaded guilty to the offences at Portsmouth Crown Court on December 1, 2025.

They were both sentenced to 14 months in prison in relation to the canabis cultivation at the same court on Friday, January 9, 2026, and once they have completed their sentence they will be taken into custody of immigration services.

Chief Inspector Sam Warne from Portsmouth’s Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “We’re committed to relentlessly pursuing those that cause the most harm to our communities.

Get access to trustworthy local news for a fiver when you sign up for a digital subscription to The News.

“The supply of drugs is one such offence and significant resources were used to dismantle the factory, which extended over three floors in the building, and carry out this investigation. It’s a good reminder that if you see anything suspicious relating to vacant buildings in the city, please report it to us.

“I’m pleased that we managed to prevent further harm to our communities from the criminality that surrounds these kinds of incidents.”

The police are urging residents to get in touch with them if they suspect drug activity in their neighbourhood. People can do this by calling 101.

CI Warne added: “Cannabis factories of this size are unusual and can pose significant risks, including fire because of the way electricity is used. Ultimately, we’ve stopped the distribution of these drugs. Drug supply causes harm and misery to our communities and we will continue disrupting it and making sure that our city is a hostile environment for drug dealers to operate in.”

For more information about the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, click here.