A MAN was caught growing more than 150 cannabis plants at a terraced house with the potential of yielding drugs worth £100,000 on the street.

Hygert Marku, 23, was arrested at an address on Ogmore Crescent in the Bettws area of Newport last month.

Gwent Police carried out a raid on Wednesday, July 31 following an anonymous tip-off.

Anisha Rai, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court: “Officers entered the property and they discovered that the entirety of the upstairs was being used as a cannabis farm.

“There were three full rooms with 153 plants in total and the attic was also being used for storage.

“A drugs expert report has been completed and states that the estimated value would be between £33,600 and £100,009.

“In interview, the defendant answered no comment to all questions asked.”

Illegal immigrant Marku admitted producing the class B drug.

He has no previous convictions.

Harry Baker, mitigating, asked the court to give his client the appropriate one-third discount to his sentence as a result of his early guilty plea.

His barrister added: “The defendant is a young man who is looking forward to returning to Albania as soon as possible.”

Judge Lucy Crowther told Marku: “This was an operation that was capable of producing significant quantities for commercial use.

“You're only 23, you have no previous convictions and you have no entitlement to be in the UK.

“You use your lack of previous convictions in mitigation and that allows me to reduce the starting point from 12 months to nine months imprisonment.

“After a credit of one-third, the sentence I impose upon you is one of six months imprisonment.”

Marku, who followed proceedings with the help of an Albanian interpreter, was told he would serve half of that six-month jail sentence before being released.

What happens to the defendant upon his release was up to the Home Office, Judge Crowther added.

The court ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the cannabis plants.