A sophisticated criminal operation posing as legitimate utility workers was exposed after running a multi-million-pound cannabis farm scheme across England and Wales. Using a registered utility company as a front, the gang illegally tapped into the electricity grid, fueling vast cannabis farms on behalf of Albanian gangsters.
Operating between November 2020 and February 2024, the group… led by Ross McGinn from Merseyside and Andrew Roberts from Greater Manchester… dug up roads in plain sight, complete with branded vans, signage, and even road closures to avoid suspicion.
Their fraudulent scheme spanned at least 54 locations, including abandoned homes, pubs, shops, and even a former department store in North Wales, all transformed into cannabis factories.
The conspiracy unraveled after suspicious activity around an abandoned store in Bangor led to a police raid in January 2023, uncovering over 1,000 cannabis plants thriving under stolen electricity. CCTV footage revealed men linked to the operation digging up pavements, providing detectives with a crucial lead… a van registered to Elev8 Civils and Utilities Ltd.
Liverpool Crown Court sentenced the ringleaders:
- Andrew Roberts, 42 (Wigan) – 6 years
- Ross McGinn, 33 (Huyton) – 5 years and 4 months
Both had prior drug-related convictions.
Other members included:
- Greg Black, 29 (Huyton) – 3 years and 9 months
- Lewin Charles, 22 (Roby) – 2 years and 8 months
- Aiden Doran, 28 (Wigan) – 3 years
- Graham Roberts, 47 (Wigan) – 5 years and 3 months
- Colin White, 62 (Liverpool) – 2.5 years
Scottish Power engineer Colin White played a key role, stealing professional equipment to assist the illegal power connections. The court heard how the gang’s unsafe electrical work resulted in one member suffering severe burns from an explosion.
Authorities discovered two Albanian men hiding in a loft at one cannabis farm, claiming they were victims of human trafficking. Police believe Albanian criminal networks orchestrated the farms, using trafficked individuals as workers.
The $26M cannabis operation is one of the most brazen in recent years, exploiting public roads and utilities to fuel organized crime. The North West Regional Organized Crime Unit led the investigation, bringing the fake work crew to justice.
