A man who was arrested in connection with a major drug supply conspiracy has been jailed and will be deported.

Thomas Borodkinas was arrested alongside 31 other people in September, following raids on around 70 properties in the Burnley and Nelson areas.

Lancashire Telegraph:

He was initially charged with conspiracy to produce and supply cannabis but the courts accepted the basis of his plea being that he was only concerned in the production of cannabis and was not involved in or aware of the wider conspiracy, owing to the fact he agreed to become involved in the operation after his landlord suggested the idea to him.

The courts heard how from January 2019 an organised criminal gang were running an operation producing cannabis on an industrial scale in Nelson and Burnley.

The gang consisted of mainly Lithuanian nationals who rented out properties in the areas, taking out short term tenancy agreements.

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Prosecuting, Tom Challinor told the court: "These properties would then be used to house cannabis farms, and once the gang had control of the properties they would clear the rooms and install specialist growing equipment, and ventilation, electric and watering systems.

"In the majority of the cases, and in this defendant's, the electricity in the homes would be bridged and security measures would be put in place, which included cameras.

"Members of the group would maintain the crop until it was ready to harvest and then it would be packaged for onward supply."

Mr Challinor said the operation was eventually taken down by police in September following a series of raids and a number of arrests were made.

In all, a packaged amount of cannabis worth an estimated street value of £500,000 was seized, and a yield from the plants not then harvested of around £2million.

Mr Challinor continued: "On September 20, officers attended Smith Street in Nelson and a door was opened by another defendant in this case. Also in the property was Mr Borodkinas.

"At his feet was a smashed mobile phone with a snapped battery and SIM card.

"The property was searched and grows were found. The set ups were sophisticated and the rooms had undergone extensive modifications.

"The overall character was almost identical to the other set-ups uncovered.

"Fifty two plants were recovered, with a weight of 9.79kg.

"The defendant was arrested and gave a prepared statement saying he'd been at the property visiting a friend and had no knowledge of the production going on inside."

Defending, Tom Lord said his client pleaded guilty on the basis that the operation was his landlord's idea and he had no idea any other operation was going on elsewhere.

Judge Richard Gioserano accepted that Borodkinas, 20, played no active part in any other conspiracy which may have been behind cannabis growing in other houses and said: "On your own account you admitted that, but even if this was the landlord's idea, you fully and enthusiastically adopted it.

"I accept you came to this country intending to work rather than to take part in criminal activity but it was not long before you engaged in such activity. You did not establish a good work record here before falling into this sort of thing.

"Nor did you maintain that any pressure was brought upon you to get you to do this, all it took was an idea from your landlord."

Borodkinas, of Pine Street, Nelson, was sentenced to two years and four months in prison and will be automatically deported.