An estate agency director who used his business to help operate a sophisticated network of 19 cannabis factories has been jailed for more than eight years. Sarfraz Farooq, 46, a director of Condor Estates, was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison at Luton Crown Court on Thursday 10 September. Bedfordshire Police said its Operation Costello team uncovered a large-scale operation involving cannabis cultivation, fraudulent tenancy agreements, specialist hydroponic equipment and money laundering.
Almost 2,000 cannabis plants seized
Officers raided 20 properties during 2024, including 19 addresses in Luton and one in Milton Keynes. Cannabis factories were discovered at 19 of the properties, while equipment used for growing the drug was recovered from the remaining address. Police seized almost 2,000 cannabis plants, which were estimated to be worth as much as £800,000. Investigators calculated that, had the factories remained operational, they could have produced cannabis with a street value exceeding £2 million in just 12 months.
Landlords’ properties used for cannabis farms
Police said Farooq used properties belonging to genuine landlords who had trusted his estate agency to rent out their homes legitimately. Fraudulent documentation was instead used to create false tenancy agreements connected to the cannabis operation. Uan Gogu, 42, was described by police as playing a central role in establishing the factories, including arranging specialist growing equipment and bypassing electricity meters. The dangerous electrical modifications also created a significant fire risk, with police saying fires occurred at three of the properties. Gogu was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison for his involvement. Farooq was additionally disqualified from acting as a company director for 10 years.
Originally published by UKNIP.
