Unusual heat source gives police lead to discover major cannabis grow

A tracksuit-wearing man lowers himself down from a loft hatchPolice footage showing the moment Dori Sado emerged from a loft in a house in Firemans Row, Sutton in Ashfield, during a police drugs raid.
© Nottinghamshire Police

A Sutton man has been given a one year jail sentence after police uncovered a major cannabis farm in his house. Dori Sado, 38, was found hiding in the loft of his Firemans Row home in Sutton in Ashfield.

Police suspicions were aroused after a thermal imaging camera showed that the house was “significantly hotter” than neighbouring properties. Police investigating the property saw a man acting suspiciously inside, and various items associated with cannabis cultivation outside.

Officers forced entry to the house on 23 February this year and found more than 400 cannabis plants in different rooms in the house. Sado, who was found in the loft, was arrested at the scene. A judge at Nottingham Crown Court sentenced Sado to 12 months in prison last Friday (31 May) after he pleaded guilty to producing cannabis.

In addition to the sentence, officers have obtained a closure order on the address, preventing anyone from occupying it for at least three months.

An unusual heat source led police to raid a property in Firemans Row, Sutton in Ashfield
© Google Street View

“Cannabis grows of this nature are a major fire risk and pose a significant danger to neighbouring properties”, Detective Sergeant Clint Gloyn said. “As is typical in these case, the electrical supply in this property had been illegally bypassed and the outlets within were dangerously overloaded.

“When combined with the huge quantity of flammable material inside the address, these illegal modifications could easily have caused a very serious fire.

“That’s why we urge local residents to tell us about properties they believe are being used in this way as soon as possible.”