Immigration officers inspecting Sheffield home of Albanian graduate found 13kg of cannabis stashed in loft

The immigration officers visited the registered address of Melet Llukaj, on Carlisle Street in Burngreave, Sheffield, on March 15, 2023, proseucting barrister, Stephanie Hollis, told Sheffield Crown Court during a hearing held on May 18, 2023.

“They knocked on the door, they could hear a loud bang from within, and this defendant appeared on this roof,” Ms Hollis said, adding that the defendant’s presence on the roof – after emerging from his loft – led them to believe it was necessary to search the area.

A search of the loft area was conducted, after Llukaj, aged 26, allowed the officers access to his flat, and they subsequently found 13 full bags, and a half bag of cannabis in the loft of Llukaj’s flat, the court heard.

Ms Hollis said police were called to the scene, and determined that the 13 bags found by the officers each weighed one kilogram (kg), and the total amount of cannabis discovered in Llukaj’s possession totalled approximately 13.5kg. Police determined the cannabis to have a street value of between £52,000 and £86,000, depending on the size of the deals of the Class B drug.

In police interview, Llukaj told officers that he had entered the country illegally two-and-a-half years ago ‘to come here for a better life,’ and during that time, had previously worked in the construction industry, as a decorator and at a car wash, Ms Hollis told the court.

Llukaj said he arrived in Sheffield around three to four months before the search carried out by immigration officers.

Llukaj, previously of Carlisle Street, Burngreave, was charged with, and pleaded guilty to, one count of possession with intent to supply cannabis.

Defending, Nicola Hoskins, said Llukaj had earned a degree in petrochemical engineers, as well as a masters, in his home country of Albania, but discovered his qualifications did not equate to a better calibre of employment and consequently found himself working in ‘manual’ jobs.

Ms Hoskins said her client came to the UK with the hope of obtaining further qualifications, but had ended up in the possession of these drugs with a role akin to that of a gardener or custodian after various spells of employment.

The judge, Recorder Andrew Smith MBE, jailed Llukaj for 12 months, and told him to either ‘take steps to formalise his residency’ in the United Kingdom or to return to Albania.

He added: “This is a very prevalent offence in Sheffield, as indeed it is, in any other city in the United Kingdom. These drugs have the potential to wreck other people’s lives.

“The storing of these drugs brings a criminal element into locations such as Carlisle Street – causing problems for other members of the public, who just want to lead a quiet life. It is brought about by the huge profits that can be made for people higher up the chain.”

As he sent Llukaj to begin his prison sentence, Recorder Smith said he makes ‘no direction’ concerning Llukaj’s immigration status, which, he added, ‘is a matter for the immigration authorities’.