TWO members of an organised crime gang which produced and sold cannabis across the country, have been jailed.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Laurynas Sereika and Zilvinas Vaigauskas were responsible for the Nelson branch of the production conspiracy and operated five cannabis factories in the town.

Police raided properties in Fulham Street, Gordon Road, two in Napier Street and Lime Street and discovered plants worth £150,000.

Prosecuting, Antony Longworth said Sereika employed Vaigauskas to work for his legitimate business VIP Autotints in Southfield Street, Nelson. But 30-year-old Vaigauskas , of Gordon Road, Nelson, would then be driven from VIP Autotints to tend to the plants at the five cannabis farms,before being dropped off again.

Mr Longworth said on at least two occasions 38-year-old Sereika, of Plant Hill Road, Manchester, was seen by police driving Vaigauskas personally, while on other occasion he was driven by other unidentified men.

Mr Longworth said: “Mr Vaigauskas was the gardener and Mr Sereika was involved at a different level. The prosecution case that he was effectively an overseer or foreman, rather than someone just responsible for tending to the plants.

“These two defendants were part of a large scale conspiracy by Lithuanian nationals to produce cannabis for sale. It’s not the prosecution case any of these defendants were at the top of this conspiracy. Neither that they knew the full extent of it. They were responsible for the Nelson branch of the conspiracy which is the production of cannabis for the sale by the wider network.”

The court heard that police took 72 plants in their raids, which could have yielded 11.5kgs of cannabis. with an estimated value of £150,000.

raided all five addresses on July 18 and found 28 cannabis plants at the property in Fulham Street, 24 cannabis plants in Gordon Street and 20 cannabis plants at two houses in Napier Street. Those plants could have produced 11.5 kilos of the drug, which had an estimated street value of £150,000. At the house in Lime Street police found dead cannabis buds, which if still alive, would have had a value of £6,760.

Mr Longworth said Sereika was arrested at his place of work with bunches of keys and a Samsung mobile phone. One of the keys opened the front door to the house in Gordon Street. Text messages on his phone, which spanned the period of the conspiracy, showed he was directing others in what to do. He was also responsible for sourcing chemicals and equipment needed to grow the cannabis, Mr Longworth said.

Vaigauskas, who was jailed for two years in Lithuania after being convicted of transporting cannabis and amphetamines for sale, pleaded guilty to conspiring to produce cannabis.

Sereika pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

Defending Vaigauskas, Timothy Storrie said his client came to the UK to find work to support his 10-year-old son in Lithuania but he racked up gambling debts and became involved with the gang to clear them.

Mr Storrie said: “So far as Mr Vaigauskas is concerned the reality is he performed limited tasks and performed them under the direction of others.”

Defending Sereika, Frances Hertzog said her client did not perform a leading role in the operation. She also asked Judge Ian Leeming QC to consider the impact on Sereika’s family when passing sentence.

Sereika was jailed for 37 months and Vaigauskas received 30 months.

A third man, Zygimantas Dragunas, 29, of Fulham Street, Nelson, is set to be sentenced for his role in the conspiracy later this year.