Cannabis ‘gardener’ Marinel Cela has been jailed after police uncovered 262 plants growing in his property.
Police visited the Mayor’s Walk house in Peterborough on November 22 after receiving a tip-off about a suspected cannabis grow.
Peterborough Crown Court heard officers discovered plants worth around £220,000 in varying stages of growth.
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They also found the electricity supply had been bypassed.
Cela, aged 24, was arrested and later charged with producing cannabis and abstracting electricity.
He told the court he was merely a gardener looking after the crop.
But has now been jailed for 255 days, just over eight months, after admitting the charges.
PC Louise Ashworth, who investigated for Cambridgeshire Constabulary, said: “Drugs destroy lives and cause misery for our communities, and we will continue to work tirelessly to bring people to justice who deal or produce them.
“The properties where cannabis production occurs are often in a poor condition, have overloaded electrical sockets and can increase the risk of a fire, so please report any concerns around properties you believe may be a cannabis factory, this information could save lives.
“Signs include blacked-out windows, people coming and going at various times of the day and a distinctive ‘hum’ noise from fans and ventilation.”
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