Four Wellingborough cannabis factories found as police safeguard human trafficking victims

Four Wellingborough cannabis farms were destroyed and three human trafficking victims were safeguarded after a joint operation between police in Northamptonshire and London.

During late May and early June, the county force worked with the Metropolitan Police to help people who have been illegally trafficked into the UK and forced to work on illegal cannabis factories.

In total eight warrants were carried out across Wellingborough with more than 200 plants, as well as growing equipment, seized and destroyed from drug farms in Ferrestone Road, Mill Road, Gordon Road and Shelley Road.

Three people were safeguarded, one man was arrested and charged with immigration offences by the Met Police and another Wellingborough man was charged with a drug production offence.

Detective Inspector Stuart Hitchon, of the county force's intelligence command, said: “This has been a significant investigation with our colleagues in the Met which has disrupted a group of organised criminals who have been exploiting vulnerable people for their criminal enterprise.

“Northamptonshire Police does not tolerate such exploitation and will stop at nothing to bring those involved in human trafficking, modern slavery and illegal drug production to justice.”

Hekuran Margjoka, aged 23, of no fixed address, Wellingborough, was charged with one count of producing a controlled drug of class B (cannabis).

He appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on May 28, where he was remanded in custody ahead of his trial at Northampton Crown Court on July 9.