AN illegal immigrant who came to England in pursuit of a better life will spend the coming months in prison after becoming involved in a drug ring.

Albanian Silvio Nelaj was found looking after around 600 plants worth of harvested cannabis when officers searched a house in Great Harwood in March.

During sentencing at Preston Crown Court it was heard that the plants had a combined wholesale value of between £27,000 and £72,000.

Prosecuting, Paul Cummings said: “On Saturday March 22 officers went to an address in Great Harwood and spoke to the defendant.

“He told the officers that the main occupant had gone out shopping, and that he was an illegal immigrant from Albania.

“The police decided on that information to search the address. They went into the loft and found a quantity of cannabis plants that were drying.

“A cash amount of £2,000 was also found inside the house.”

Mr Cummings told the court that the prosecution accepted Nelaj was only a custodian acting under instruction of others.

Nelaj pleaded guilty to producing cannabis.

The court heard that he was 19-years-old at the time of the offence, has no previous convictions and had got ‘caught-up’ in someone else’s businesses.

Defending, Toby Long said his client had borrowed money to travel to the United Kingdom and had needed to find a way to pay that back.

He said: “He came to the UK because he wanted a better life.

“He managed to open a mobile banking account so he could have some money to spend.

“He had to borrow money to fund his journey to the United Kingdom and he had to pay that loan back. Through people in the Albanian community he was offered the employment that led to his arrest.

“The better life he had hoped for has not taken place.

“In my submission he was at the very bottom rung of the ladder that was running this business. As far as that is concerned the exact size of the crop was not a matter under his control.

“This young man has been caught up in someone else’s business and I ask your honour to keep his sentence to an absolute minimum in accordance with your public duty.”

Sentencing Nelaj, of Cattle Street, Great Harwood, to eight months in prison, Judge Simon Newall said: “I have to sentence you for producing cannabis. Your role was to look after plants that had been harvested.

“There are three major points made in mitigation: you are young and came to England in difficult circumstances. You are, as far as it is known, of previous good character and you are entitled to credit for your guilty plea.”

Nelaj was warned that he may not be eligible to stay in the UK upon his release.