Three men caught running cannabis factory in old Irvine shopping centre

Three Albanian men have been convicted of operating a cannabis factory at a derelict shopping centre in North Ayrshire.

Elton Skenderi, 30, Gjovalin Toma, 31, and Eduard Daja, 39, pleaded guilty after thousands of plants were seized at the former Irvine Forum in September 2024.

The High Court in Glasgow heard the cannabis was valued at somewhere between £611,600 and £1,834,800.

Judge Lord Mulholland told the men to expect lengthy jail terms when they are sentenced next month.

The judge said they had come to Scotland “to receive the benefits available from living here” and repaid that with “criminality on an industrial scale”.

The court heard the cannabis factory had been set up in shuttered units at the disused former shopping precinct.

Police were tipped off by Scottish Power who had concerns about “energy use” at the site.

The court heard a total of 3,058 cannabis plants were seized.

Skenderi and Toma were detained that night after trying to run from police. They were said to be “reeking” of cannabis.

Daja was caught the next day after being spotted leaving a fire exit at the shopping centre.

He claimed to have been sleeping in the building.

Fingerprint and forensic evidence linked Skenderi and Daja to the crime scene.

Daja was previously sentenced to eight months for a similar offence at Leeds Crown Court in May 2023.

He was served with a deportation order and was sent back to the Albanian capital of Tirana in July 2023 but later returned to the UK.

Toma also had a previous conviction for growing cannabis, having been sentenced to 14 months in Leeds in 2022.

He was ordered to be sent back to Albania at the time, but went on to claim asylum and his case remains live.

Skenderi – like the other two – had no ties to the UK.

All three men were remanded in custody with sentencing deferred for reports.