Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by Property Industry Eye. Read the original article for full details.
Lettings Agency Director Jailed Over 19 Cannabis Factories in Landlords' Homes
A Luton-based estate agency director has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison after using landlords' properties to help operate 19 cannabis factories. Sarfraz Farooq, 46, director of Condor Estates, was jailed at Luton Crown Court on 10 September and disqualified from acting as a company director for 10 years.
How the Fraud Worked
According to the report, Farooq used properties belonging to genuine landlords who believed the agency was legitimately letting their homes. Instead, the criminal network converted the properties into cannabis factories.
Farooq created fraudulent documentation, including false tenancy agreements for the properties used to grow cannabis. Landlords received what they believed were genuine tenancy agreements, and rental payments continued to be made.
Police Investigation and Raids
Bedfordshire Police's Operation Costello team uncovered the operation, identifying links to cannabis cultivation, fraudulent tenancy documents, hydroponic equipment and money laundering. Officers raided 20 properties in 2024 — 19 in Luton and one in Milton Keynes — finding cannabis factories at 19 of them and growing equipment at the remaining property.
Police seized almost 2,000 cannabis plants with an estimated value of up to £800,000, and estimate the properties could have produced cannabis worth more than £2m over 12 months had the operation continued.
Other Sentences
Uan Gogu, 42, who played a central role in setting up the factories, arranging hydroponic equipment and helping bypass electricity meters, received six and a half years. Police said the meter bypasses created significant safety risks and caused fires at three properties.
Zohaib Riaz Ali, 33, who purchased hydroponic equipment, received a four-month sentence suspended for 12 months. Glentjan Sefaj, 29, received eight months suspended for 18 months for conspiracy, and Mohammed Farooq, 76, who bought a property with cash that later operated as a cannabis factory, received nine months suspended for 12 months for money laundering.
What This Means for Letting Agents and Inventory Clerks
The case shows the risks of fraudulent tenancy documentation and the importance of thorough tenant referencing and regular property inspections. Detective Chief Inspector Simon Mullan, from Operation Costello, said the network's victims included landlords whose homes were "destroyed and left in a state of disrepair". He said the operation was committed to disrupting every part of the organised crime chain, including those who enable criminal activity for financial gain.
Source: Property Industry Eye