TWO men were caught with 1,361 cannabis plants worth £898,000 at a city centre nightclub and music venue.

Indrit Neziri, 25, and Sardi Hasani, 30, were arrested at The Neon in Newport following a police raid last Christmas.

Both defendants said they were forced to tend to the plants as gardeners by gangsters who threatened to hurt them and their families if they didn’t.

Gareth James, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court: “Officers discovered eight separate growing rooms that contained a total of 1,361 cannabis plants.

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“There were 151 lights and 145 transformers were in place to power the lighting with 56 fans together with eight ventilation units.

“It was a significant set up clearly designed to produce significant quantities of cannabis.”

South Wales Argus: Gwent Police officers outside The Neon in Newport after the raid last Christmas

Mr James added: “The defendants were taken into custody and interviewed and both in essence said the same thing.

“They said they were Albanians, they'd incurred debts at home, either through family or directly themselves.

South Wales Argus: Indrit Neziri

“As a result of becoming involved through these debts with unsavoury characters, they were then being forced to carry out this operation in order to pay off the debts or otherwise significant harm was going to be visited upon them or members of their family.”

Neziri and Hasani, both of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis on December 29, 2023.

The defendants have no previous convictions.

Nigel Fryer representing Neziri said his client had been “operating under direction” and will be deported back to Albania after being released from prison.

South Wales Argus: Sardi Hasani

Emma Harris for Hasani asked for him to be given credit for his guilty plea.

Judge Christopher Vosper KC told Neziri and Hasani: “This was an extremely sophisticated operation and appeared to be part of an organised crime group activity.

“In interview you both said you were tending the plants because you were in debt and if you failed to tend to those plants as directed there would have been serious repercussions for you or your family.”

Both defendants were jailed for 36 weeks.