Northampton man jailed for being getaway driver for gang who used heat-seeking drones to find cannabis factories to rob

Andrew Thomas, of Northampton, was one of six gangsters sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday July 18.

The gang used aerial drone footage to identify houses in Nottinghamshire with cannabis grows before stealing more than £250,000 of the plants.

Police caught the men red-handed as they tried to pinch a crop of 260 cannabis plants in Mansfield on May 6 last year after being alerted by a neighbour.

Dichrije Elliel, 26, Khalid Omar, 24, and Galom Yackobi, 20, were found in the bathroom at the address on Birding Street.

Body-cam footage shows Yackobi trying to escape by jumping from the window with his legs dangling in the air - but he suffered a broken wrist and was detained by officers.

A further man, Addil Elmi, 25, tried to run from the property, which contained £22,000 worth of cannabis, but was also arrested.

Officers also spotted a man running from the house to a waiting stolen Vauxhall Zafira which sped off.

They caught up with the vehicle after a stinger was deployed on the A5 in Northamptonshire and found 25-year-old Thomas and Donnell Quarry, 25, inside.

An investigation by detectives found the gang were part of a wider conspiracy thanks to incriminating Snapchat messages.

Analysis of seized mobile phones revealed the group were making use of ‘scouts’ who searched for possible cannabis grows using drones with heat seeking cameras.

The footage was then sent to gang members in London who assembled a team to travel, break in and steal the grow.

Officers also found a man who had been looking after the cannabis grow and had been threatened with a knife when the men burst in. He has been dealt with by the courts separately.

Elliel, of London, and Thomas were found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery after a trial in October. Elliel was also convicted of aggravated burglary.

Elmi, of London; Omar, of Uxbridge; Quarry, of London and Yackobi, of Uxbridge, all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery.

Elmi, who played a leading role and took part in the planning of the raid, was handed a custodial sentence of four years and eight months.

Omar received a sentence of three years and four months.

Elliel was put behind bars for five years while Yackobi, who the court heard took part in the raid for 'easy money', was locked up for two years and four months.

Thomas, who was driving the Vauxhall, received a three-and-a-half-year custodial sentence after also admitting dangerous driving and driving without a licence or insurance.

Quarry was jailed for four years and eight months.

Detective Sergeant Rachel Mayfield, of Nottinghamshire Police, said afterwards: “We know the cultivation of cannabis can cause huge issues for communities and this case demonstrates how it can bring organised criminals to your doorstep.

“The residents on the street were understandably extremely concerned by what happened that night and I hope they are at least comforted by our response and the sentences handed down.

“I would like to commend the officers who attended the scene and were confronted with a confusing and potentially dangerous situation.

“The determination of officers to catch up with Quarry and Thomas after they fled the scene should also be recognised and this successful pursuit involved coordination between several different forces.

“Detective Constable Jasdip Hayer and other officers who worked on the case carried out a meticulous investigation which has resulted in this outcome at court.

“I would urge anyone who suspects cannabis is being grown in their neighbourhood to get in touch so we can put the grow out of use and prevent it becoming a magnet for this type of criminality.

“We will not tolerate dangerous criminals like this gang travelling from elsewhere in the country to our communities and I hope this sends a strong message that they can expect to be met with a robust response from the force.”