THREE men have been jailedafter pleading guilty to producing large amounts of cannabis worth up to £620,000 at a former school building in Llandysul.

Njazi Gjana, aged 27, and Ervin Gjana, aged 24, were both sentenced to two years and six months in prison, while 29-year-old Armeld Troski was handed a sentence of three years and four months for the offence.

Dyfed-Powys Police carried out the warrant at the former primary school on Friday, 15 November, 2024 following reports from the public about suspicious activity there.

Upon gaining entry to the property, it was clear to officers this was a large-scale and sophisticated set up which had been purposely modified to accommodate and conceal the cannabis farm.

While inspecting the property and the vast levels amounts of cannabis across its three floors, officers heard sounds of movement coming from the downstairs, indicating there were other people present in the building.

Officers swiftly acted to locate and arrest two individuals, Njazi and Armid, while a third man, now known to be Ervin Gjana escaped the property - climbing over a wired fence and heading towards nearby fields.

Through use of a drone and a physical search by officers, Gjana was located on a nearby roadside soaking wet and with bramble scratches on his arms, and was swiftly arrested on suspicion of cultivating the cannabis.

Following their arrests, all three men were charged with the production of a Class B drug and pleaded guilty to the offence when they appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Friday, 20 December, 2024.

The court was told that officers discovered a total of 819 plants being grown, spread over three floors.

Detective Constable Ben Nicholls said: “I’d like to thank the Llandysul community for their vigilance and proactivity in reporting suspicious activity to police.

“The information we receive from members of the community helps us build the picture of illegal activity that allows us to execute warrants such as this to ensure our area remains hostile to those who deal drugs.

“Monday’s sentencing serves as a reminder of our dedication to removing and preventing harmful substances damaging our communities, and we thank the public for the crucial role they play in this work.”

Dyfed-Powys Police is appealing to the public to help officers in their work to tackle the growth and supply of drugs by reporting any concerns or information.

Police have issued some signs to look out for if you’re suspicious about cannabis cultivation near you.

These include a distinctive aroma coming from a property and noises from ventilation fans; blacked out windows; people and vehicles coming and going at odd house and bright lights being on continuously, even though a property appears to be vacant.

Other telltale signs are lots of condensation on windows, unusual wiring to a property as it may be the electricity meters have been bypassed and garden’ rubbish such as plant pots, fertiliser, compost, and chemicals.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dyfed-Powys Police on 101