It was the latest cannabis ruse by an Albanian gang dealt with by Warwick Crown Court
A closed-down motorbike showroom was put to a different use by Albanian criminals – as a cannabis factory.
And when the former Fretton’s Motorcycles premises in Leamington was raided by the police, officers discovered a crop which could have been worth up to £360,000 on the street.
Eduard Elezi, 27, who was arrested inside, has now been jailed for 15 months after pleading guilty at Warwick Crown Court to producing cannabis.
Prosecutor Simon Rippon said that on March 15 the police executed a search warrant at business premises in Clemens Street and found that four rooms were dedicated to the growing of cannabis using a sophisticated set-up which included the use of ultra-violet lights.
One of the rooms contained 241 young cannabis plants, while in the other three were a total of 188 fully-grown plants.

Based on figures given in a previous similar case, depending on the yield from each plant, the eventual crop would have been worth between £120,000 and £360,000.
The electricity meter had been by-passed, and there was also evidence that the loft had been used to strip plants from a previous crop.
A further room, where Elezi was found, was accessed via a loft hatch and contained bedding and a fully-stocked fridge, a phone and keys to the premises.
Judge Potter commented: “This court has been dealing with cannabis cultivations of this sort, run by Albanian gangs, on a regular basis.
“We are dealing with an operation which provides criminals with tens of thousands of pounds on which they do not pay tax and which causes damage to the community.