Two men who operated a huge cannabis farm in a Northfleet house have been jailed for a total of four and a half years.

Salvator Kola, 44 and Xhovan Pepaj, 21 grew the drug in a house they rented. After both pleading guilty to producing a controlled drug at Maidstone Crown Court, Kola and Pepaj were each jailed for two years and three months.

The factory was uncovered when an off-duty police officer spotted Pepaj scoping out a neighbouring property in Mitchell Road to expand the factory.

After finding a gate open as Pepaj walked away from the house, the officer arrested him on suspicion of burglary.

While at the scene, police noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from Pepaj's house. After inspecting the house, they found the farm spanned three upstairs rooms as well as the loft.

They also found Kola inside the house, who was arrested. After questioning, burglary enquiries were dropped but the pair were charged for their involvement in the drug operation.

Investigating officer DC Jillian Stoneham said: "Pepaj and Kola were prepared to profit from criminality and in the progress used someone else’s property as a means to an end.

"Cultivating cannabis is a criminal offence and we will not hesitate to use the full remit of our powers to bring those who break the law to justice."

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