A lettings agent who used landlords’ properties to run 19 cannabis factories has been jailed for over eight years.
Sarfraz Farooq, who ran Condor Estates, was sentenced to eight years and four months’ imprisonment for his role in the cannabis conspiracy and related fraudulent activity.
He has also been disqualified from acting as a company director for 10 years.
He was one of five men sentenced to more than 14 years at Luton Crown Court.
The men were arrested after the Operation Costello team uncovered a sophisticated network which was being run through the Condor Estates agency.
The investigation exposed links to cannabis cultivation, fraudulent tenancy agreements, the purchase of specialist hydroponic equipment and money laundering.
Enforcement action was carried out in 2024 at 20 properties; 19 in Luton and one in Milton Keynes.
Cannabis factories were discovered at 19 out of the 20 properties searched, with cannabis growing equipment found at the other one.
Almost 2,000 plants were recovered from the properties, worth up to £800,000. It’s estimated that had the properties not been discovered, the plants could have generated cannabis with a street value of more than £2m in just 12 months.
Sarfraz Farooq – director of Condor Estates – was at the forefront of the network and responsible for a significant quantity of fraudulent documentation, including paperwork used to create false tenancy agreements for properties being used for cannabis cultivation.
Farooq used homes belonging to genuine landlords who trusted the agency to legitimately let their properties and were provided with what they believed to be valid tenancy agreements and rental payments.
His associate, Uan Gogu, played a central role in establishing cannabis factories.
He used properties connected to Farooq and arranged for specialist hydroponic equipment to be installed. He was also involved in bypassing electricity meters, creating significant safety risks and causing fires at three of the properties.
Also involved were Zohaib Riaz Ali, who assisted the operation through the purchase of hydroponic equipment, while Mohammed Farooq bought a property in cash that was subsequently discovered to be operating as a cannabis factory.
A police spokesperson says: “These sentences represent a significant result against an organised criminal network that was operating cannabis factories on an industrial scale across our county.
“Drug dealing goes far beyond street dealers. Behind what the public sees, this type of high-level criminality relies on a network of individuals carrying out different roles, from sourcing properties and producing fraudulent documentation to supplying specialist equipment and maintaining cultivation sites.
“But the impact and dangers of these factories go beyond the growth of cannabis plants. Behind this network are victims who had their homes destroyed and left in a state of disrepair.
“Operation Costello is committed to identifying and disrupting every part of the organised crime chain, including those who enable criminal activity for financial gain. These convictions send a clear message that we will pursue everyone involved and bring them before the courts.
“We continue to urge communities to report suspicious activity in their neighbourhoods. What may appear to be anti-social behaviour can often be an indicator of much wider organised criminality, and the information we receive from the public plays a vital role in helping us tackle it.”
