Supply of cannabis in South West Wales was disrupted by operation, say police

TWO men who tried to evade officers by smashing through the roof of a house will be sentenced later this month.

Three west Wales cannabis growers who were arrested as part of a police offensive to tackle organised criminal networks have pleaded guilty to producing cannabis and will be sentenced later this month.

Dorjan Dautaj and Ergys Dautaj, both 24, were inside a house on Swansea Road, Trebanos, when tactical search teams forced entry on February 13.

They smashed their way up through the roof of the Swansea house and risked their lives to escape by jumping onto a neighbouring roof.

But there was no way out, and they surrendered to officers waiting below.

Cannabis plants in varying stages of growth were discovered in two bedrooms, the living room, and the attic of one of the properties, which had been extensively and dangerously modified to cultivate the drug.

Both pleaded guilty to cannabis production and will appear alongside another man, Osman Sallaku, 21, to be sentenced on Friday, March 21. Sallaku was arrested at a nearby address on the same day in what were co-ordinated police warrants.

They are among 12 people arrested during a month-long police crackdown throughout February. Warrants were executed across south Wales, including in Swansea, Cardiff, and the south Wales valleys, as part of the third phase of a national effort to disrupt organised crime groups known as Operation Millie.

Nearly 1,000 plants were also discovered by police when they raided two commercial units in Pontypridd on February 25.

The operation targeted organised crime linked to violence, exploitation, and anti-social behaviour, which blights communities and fuels other criminal activity, including county lines drug trafficking, modern slavery, and human trafficking.

Detective Chief Inspector Jamie Holcombe said: “The myth that cannabis is harmless couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is that the production of cannabis leaves a trail of misery and destruction in its wake. Those tasked by criminal networks to look after the cannabis grows are often vulnerable and sometimes victims of human trafficking.”

In many cases, landlords and their agents are the first to notice signs of illegal activity. Reporting concerns to police at an early stage allows forces to shut down cannabis farms before they cause serious damage.

Detective Chief Inspector Holcombe added: “There is also the financial cost of commercial cannabis grows, which often cause damage to properties taken over for that purpose. Buildings can become inherently dangerous, with fire risks due to the unlawful abstraction of electricity, fumes, and water damage—posing a serious and potentially lethal threat to those in neighbouring properties.

“During the operation, we arrested one landlord suspected of being complicit in the criminal enterprise. He has since been released under investigation. Anybody involved in this type of criminality is committing a serious offence and faces being arrested and prosecuted.”

Operation Millie, which took place in February, was part of a wider national operation involving police forces from across England and Wales. The crackdown is expected to cause further disruption to cannabis supply networks across the region, particularly in West Wales.