A man from Albania who entered the country illegally on a dinghy has been jailed after being caught by police at a cannabis farm in Oldham.

Diamont Bunguri, 27, of no fixed abode, was sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court on Monday (March 6) after pleading guilty to producing cannabis.

Prosecutor Simon Barrett told the court that on Tuesday, December 6 police stormed an address on Middleton Road in Chadderton during a drugs raid.

One entry police discovered the property had been “completely converted” into a cannabis farm.

The downstairs rooms, including the kitchen and dining room, and the upstairs bedrooms all contained cannabis plants that were housed in a “sophisticated set up” with heat lamps and the electricity bypassed.

A total of 156 plants were found at the address with a street value of between £124,000 to £156,000.

Bungari was arrested after being identified as the sole occupant of the property and found to be in the country illegally.

The 27-year-old had keys to the property, food at the address, an Albanian ID card, and a smartphone in his possession.

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Prosecutor Barrett told the court that as Bungari entered the country illegally from Albania “little is known about him” and there is no record of any previous convictions.

In his basis of plea that was read to the court Bungari said his actions were due to the position he found himself in.

The Albanian citizen said he fled to the UK in October last year via a dinghy to seek asylum and work legitimately.

Bungari said he took on a job in construction but that it only lasted a few days. After being left with no money and without a place to stay he was offered work “watering plants” and “regrettably agreed” as he “had no choice”.

He added: “I watered the plants under instruction. I was scared of the consequences if I did not follow the instructions.”

Bungari was at the property for 10 days before the police raided the address.

In mitigation defence barrister Betsy Hindle, said Bungari had a “lesser role” in the operation, was “under direction”, and was only at the property for a short period before the police arrived.

Ms Hindle added that Bungari had travelled to the UK to “find work and help his family” and had had “no intention to be involved in criminal activity”.

She said Bungari was involved due to his “naivety”, was “extremely remorseful”, and had a “longstanding wish to remain in the country” and “abide by the authorities to the letter”.

Recorder Michael Blakey acknowledged the points in mitigation and accepted that Bungari had a “limited function” and that it was possible he had “little understanding of the scale of the operation”.

Bungari was sentenced to six months in prison.