A POLICE raid at an industrial unit complex in Bradford uncovered not only two cannabis grows, but also an “international distribution hub” for the sale of cannabis products online.

Bradford Crown Court heard on Friday that officers had gone to the site in Mount Street in April to search for suspected cannabis farms, but they got more than they bargained for when unsuspecting Lithuanian Ernest Kazlauskas drove into the complex.

Prosecutor Austin Newman said Kazlauskas, of Hempole View, Skellow, Doncaster, claimed he was attending the site to use a sauna that was housed in one of the units, but a search of his vehicle revealed chemicals and plant food used in cannabis production.

The 35-year-old was arrested and one of the keys in his possession opened a third unit which Mr Newman said was effectively a warehouse or holding point for a significant quantity of cannabis products.

The unit contained equipment, labels, and packaging which suggested that it was being used as a distribution hub.

He said the labels contained a QR code which when scanned directed customers to the encrypted Telegram social media platform and an online website.

The site advertised various strains of cannabis as well as oil extracts, liquids, and Vape pens for sale on the black market.

“So it became clear to the police that this website was for the distribution of cannabis and cannabis products not only nationally within the UK, but there was evidence of supplies being sent abroad,” said Mr Newman.

A further search of the unit revealed a large quantity of cannabis as well as a large number of Vape pens.

A police expert had estimated that the products in the unit could have been worth over £100,000.

The police also linked Kazlauskas to a semi-detached house in Green Hill Lane, Wortley, Leeds, and when that property was searched they found 152 cannabis plants growing in two ground-floor rooms.

Those plants could have produced cannabis with an estimated wholesale value of £54,000.

The court heard that Kazlauskas had a latest model iPhone 15, but he refused to reveal the PIN and police were unable to download any data or messages from it.

Kazlauskas pleaded guilty to charges of producing cannabis and being concerned in the supply of cannabis and today Judge Colin Burn jailed him for a total of three years.

Barrister Fuad Arshad, for Kazlauskas, said his client had only been in the country for six months before he was arrested and he had pleaded guilty on the basis that he was looking after the cannabis grow at the house and then delivering it to the unit in Bradford.

Mr Arshad had been following directions and there was no evidence of the defendant being involved in any marketing of the products.

Judge Burn accepted that there was no evidence of Kazlauskas being involved in the international distribution of the cannabis, oils or Vapes.

But he said the defendant had been part of the “operation” generally and he had been trusted with a key to the unit.