Yorkshire drug dealer with £85,000 worth of cannabis caught out - by shop receipts

A dopey drug dealer who had more than 8kg of cannabis worth around £85,000 was caught - after he left Tesco and Argos receipts behind at a drug den.
By Nick Frame
Published 21st Mar 2024, 08:51 GMT

Ardi Pula - jailed this week for 23 months - was caught by cops who used the time and date on the receipts to see him on CCTV making the purchases. Pula, 24, bought items such as as security equipment to help protect the property in Holbeck, Leeds.

Police had raided the semi-detached last November and found plants had been stripped and dried, along with vacuum packed bags of the class B drug. There was a total of 8.5kg worth an estimated street value of £85,000.

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While there was nobody in the three-bedroom property, they found a fake Polish ID card, a forged Greek ID card and driving licence bearing the photo of Ardi Pula. They also found a wallet containing the name 'Ardi', £3,000 in cash, designer clothes, and the receipts.

Ardi Pula, 24, was jailed for 23 months after being found with £85,000 worth of cannabis at his homeArdi Pula, 24, was jailed for 23 months after being found with £85,000 worth of cannabis at his home
Ardi Pula, 24, was jailed for 23 months after being found with £85,000 worth of cannabis at his home

Having removed the drugs, the police left the property and returned hours later in the hope of catching the occupant. When they drove past at 2pm, they stopped after spotting four men in the garden including Pula, an illegal immigrant from Albania.

During his police interview he gave a prepared statement, claiming he worked as a cleaner but denied ever being inside the house. Further investigations suggested he had also sent more than £6,000 back to Albania.

He later admitted dealing in cannabis, possession of criminal property and possession of fake ID documents.

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Glenn Parsons, mitigating, said like many Albanians, Pula had come to the UK illegally in hope of finding legitimate work and had no intention of turning to crime.

But he said that Pula "fell on hard times" and was "recruited" to stay in the property and look after the illegal plants.

Mr Parsons said: "He always accepted he was making some money from this but says he was not the owner of the grow but was being paid to maintain it and protect it."

Judge Kate Rayfield jailed him for 23 months and said: "On any view, your involvement was significant. We saw how much you were sending back to Albania. It was not necessarily your operation, but you were recruited to stay and maintain the grow."