Men spotted driving Mercedes 'suspiciously' on Wellingborough industrial estate led cops to two huge cannabis farms worth up to £250,000

Kurtis Waterfield and Clenn Dombo have now been jailed after a court heard that police uncovered two grow houses as well as a stash of cannabis ready for sale.

Northampton Crown Court was told that the pair were running the operation on behalf of a drugs boss who was not named in court.

Prosecuting, Syed Ahmed, told the court that police were called to Bevan Close on the Finedon Road Industrial Estate in Wellingborough on December 15, 2023, after a member of the public spotted Dombo, 27, driving his Mercedes ‘suspiciously’ around the estate with Waterfield, 22, in the passenger seat.

He drove the car up to unit 7 and officers spotted him with several black bags in the boot.

When he clocked the police, Dombo, of Link Road, Northampton, ran off and discarded a pair of latex gloves.

Waterfield, 22, of St Peter’s Gardens, Weston Favell, had documents showing the rental terms for unit 7.

Mr Ahmed said: “Officers went inside and found a large and sophisticated cannabis farm.”

They also found a defendant called Toan Tan, 33, who had been living inside the unit and overseeing the grow, which totalled about 452 plants worth up to £190,000.

Police then executed a search warrant at a property in Knots Tiers Drive, Northampton, following the discovery of separate rental documents on Dombo.

Inside they found a second high-tech cannabis operation of about 203 plants worth up to £32,000 as well as another defendant, Minh Nguyen, 44, who had been living there.

Mr Ahmed added: “They also searched Mr Waterfield’s home in St Peter’s Gardens and found 13 bags, each containing 100 grams of herbal cannabis. That haul was worth up to £26,000.

Both men admitted cultivation of cannabis and were in court earlier this month for sentence. The prosecution said they had both played a category two ‘lesser role’ acting ‘under direction’ as part of a larger operation.

Dombo, who has a history of drug dealing, was given a suspended 16-month prison term for possession of cannabis with intent to supply it in 2017.

The court heard he had been given a suspended prison term after travelling from Northampton to Hull to burgle a house in order to pay off a massive drug debt in 2021. The judge there was told he had ‘turned around his life’ and said he was on his ‘last chance’.

Nguyen and Tan were previously sentenced to six months in prison for their part in the operation.

Recorder Jacob Hallam KC said that estimates showed the operation to be worth between £70,000 and £250,000.

He said: “You are now before the court as custodians or gardeners.

"My advice to you is to stop now so you don’t find yourselves spending more and more time in prison.”

He gave Waterfield, who had no previous convictions, a six month sentence meaning that, given the time he has served on remand he will be released immediately.

Dombo was given ten months in prison.

They were both ordered to pay £200 each which will fund around 20 per cent of the costs of the court case.