A man found hiding behind the shower curtain in a house used as a £530k cannabis factory has been jailed.
And police have appealed for information about two other men in connection with their investigation.
Police seized drugs with a street value of up to £530,000 after raiding a house in Algers Road, Loughton, on March 4.
When officers broke down the door they found three of the downstairs rooms and four upstairs rooms contained cannabis plants as well as drugs and growing equipment, with more plants in the loft.
Read more:
- Ilford man who stabbed driver near Loughton jailed for three years
- An east London green designated of historical importance
- Two attacked while queuing up at McDonald's drive-thru in Harlow
There were also indications someone had been sleeping in the house and Dionis Xhixha, 24, was found hiding behind the shower curtain.
Xhixha was sentenced to six months in jail when he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on June 14, after previously admitting to being concerned in the production of cannabis.
The plants will now be destroyed.
Essex Police are now looking to speak to two more men in connection with the cannabis factory.
The two men, Vate Kolndreu, 29, and Bledi Shyti, 39, are both known to frequent Essex, Suffolk and the wider east of England area.
Detective Constable Adelisa Poric said: “We have prevented a significant amount of cannabis from reaching the streets of Essex.
“The trade in illegal drugs, no matter which class they are in, is inextricably linked to violence, fear and misery for vulnerable people and it also affects whole communities.”
Essex Police say they also prevented a further £600,000 in drugs from reaching the streets of Essex just a fortnight earlier.
A drugs courier was stopped by officers while transporting cocaine into Essex on the M25 on April 20.
Detective Inspector Yoni Adler of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit said: “The message is clear; if you are intent on supplying drugs in Essex, or into Essex, you will be caught and you will be punished.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here