Two cousins who were involved in two cannabis factories in Lowestoft have been given jail sentences totalling more than seven years.

Police who raided the Drill Hall in Arnold Street in the town in April found 237 plants and a further 107 plants were found in a four-bedroom house in Jasmine Green, Lowestoft, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Before the court on Monday were Adolf Ndreca, 29, of St Peters Street, Lowestoft, and Kol Ndreca, 31, of Jasmine Green, Lowestoft.

Adolf Ndreca was jailed for 56 months and Kol Ndreca was jailed for 36 months.

Lowestoft Journal: Adolf Ndreca, of Lowestoft, was jailedAdolf Ndreca, of Lowestoft, was jailed (Image: Suffolk police)

They both admitted being concerned in the production of cannabis between May 2022 and April this year.

Sentencing the men, Recorder Richard Conley described the cannabis factories as a "professional setup" said Adolf Ndreca had a leading role in the operation while in his opinion Kol Ndreca had a greater role than just being a gardener.

Simon Gladwell, prosecuting, said Adolf Ndreca owned a car cleaning business in Kessingland and had purchased hydroponic equipment costing £9,500 for the cannabis factories.

He had also set up tenancy agreements for the properties and had paid council tax.

Mr Gladwell said that Kol Ndreca was an illegal immigrant but Adolf Ndreca was in the country legally.

The court heard that a man who was involved in the cannabis production in Arnold Street had been jailed for 35 weeks at an earlier hearing.

Lowestoft Journal: Kol Ndreca, of Lowestoft, was sentenced to 36 months in jailKol Ndreca, of Lowestoft, was sentenced to 36 months in jail (Image: Suffolk police)

Steven Dyble, for Adolf Ndreca, who has no previous convictions, said the case involved 350 plants and couldn’t be described as an industrial size operation.

He said his client was performing a management function but wasn’t at the forefront of the enterprise.

Mr Dyble said if he was at the "top of the pile" he would have had trappings of wealth such as an expensive house, car or jewellery, which he didn't have.

Richard Kelly, for Kol Ndreca, said his client had no previous convictions and was a gardener acting under instruction.

He said he had come to the UK because he wanted to earn money for his family in Albania and to pay for his six-year-old to have heart surgery.