A man has been caught hiding behind a fake wall in a large cannabis farm after a police dog tracked him down during a raid in Cardiff.
Albert Hysaj was discovered by officers after their dog picked up his scent and led them straight to the concealed hiding spot. Despite his efforts to stay out of sight, there was no fooling the four-legged member of the team.
The farm itself was no small operation. Police found around 300 cannabis plants on the premises, making it a significant illegal growing setup. These kinds of set-ups can generate tens of thousands of pounds worth of drugs and are often linked to wider criminal networks.
Hysaj has since pleaded guilty to producing cannabis at Cardiff Crown Court. The guilty plea means the court will now move forward to sentencing, where he faces a potentially serious prison term given the scale of what was found.
Cannabis farms of this size have become an increasingly common problem across Wales, with police regularly uncovering large growing operations hidden inside residential and commercial properties. Landlords often have no idea their properties are being used, with tenants ripping out interiors, bypassing electricity meters and setting up industrial lighting rigs to grow the drug.
The use of fake walls and hidden compartments to conceal people or contraband during police raids is a tactic officers are well aware of, which is exactly why police dogs remain such a vital tool. A dog’s sense of smell is estimated to be around 10,000 to 100,000 times more powerful than a human’s, making them almost impossible to hide from once they are on your trail.
In this case, no amount of clever construction work was enough to keep Hysaj hidden once the dog got to work.
Sentencing is yet to take place following his guilty plea at Cardiff Crown Court.