TWO men who were caught when officers carried out drugs warrants in east Durham have been jailed.
Eliot Muhometaj, of Thorpe Street, Easington Colliery and Nestor Metaliaj, of Woods Terrace, Murton, were arrested during the raids on their address on May 18.
The warrants were carried out after intelligence suggested they were connected to a suspected drug dealing gang.
Despite heavily barricaded doors and a suspected booby trap, officers discovered two large cannabis farms inside the addresses.
More than 200 cannabis plants were seized and the electricity meters in the properties were also found to have been bypassed.
Muhometaj, 19, and Metaliaj, 36, appeared at Durham Crown Court on Tuesday, June 16.
Muhometaj pleaded guilty to being concerned in the production of a controlled drug of Class B and was given a 14-month prison sentence.
Metaliaj also pleaded guilty to being concerned in the production of a controlled drug of Class B and was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
The drugs will be destroyed.
Detective Inspector Mel Sutherland, of Durham Constabulary, thanked the public for their help in reporting suspicious activity.
He said: “Illegal drugs can ruin lives and we will always act on intelligence to target gangs who bring drugs into our communities.
“There are often issues around trafficking and modern day slavery connected to these incidents and we will continue to do everything we can to dismantle these gangs and help potential victims.”
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