Two estate agents have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in a £3.8 million cannabis production operation. Ossama Omar and Mohamed Latif, who worked for Platinum Homes in Leicester, were found guilty of conspiring to produce the Class B drug during a trial at Leicester Crown Court. They were part of an organised crime gang that cultivated cannabis across 14 homes in Leicester and one in Nottingham.
Three other men, Wesley Moden and brothers Besmir and Gazmend Kortoci, were also sentenced for their participation in the cannabis production. The five men were arrested in March and April 2020, with Omar and Latif denying any wrongdoing. However, a jury found them guilty last week, while the other three had previously pleaded guilty to the charges against them.
All five men received prison sentences of five years or more. Police raids on the 15 properties revealed that 13 still had large cannabis operations, while the other two showed evidence of previous cultivation. The cannabis found had a street value of around £3.8 million, but the court heard that with multiple harvests, the homes could have generated up to £7 million annually.
Omar, 37, from St Matthews, Leicester, was sentenced to seven years in prison, while his “trusted right-hand man” Latif, 47, from Evington, Leicester, received a sentence of five-and-a-half years. Besmir Kortoci, 31, was sentenced to nine years and nine months for producing and supplying cannabis and false document offences. Gazmend Kortoci, 28, received a sentence of six years and nine months for conspiring to produce Class B drugs, while Moden, 43, was sentenced to five years for conspiracy to supply.
Judge Robert Brown praised the quality of the police investigation and emphasised the severity of the offences committed by Omar and Latif. He stated that rented properties provided the opportunity for the duo to grow cannabis undetected, with the estate agents playing a key role in maintaining the appearance of legitimate landlord and tenant arrangements.
Victoria Stather of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), who worked on the investigation, highlighted the lengthy and complex nature of the case, which ultimately dismantled the gang’s criminal activities. The combined efforts of all those involved in the investigation led to the seizure of over 160 kilos of cannabis with an estimated street value of over £2 million.
