A letting agency boss who used his business to run 19 cannabis factories has been jailed for more than eight years.

Sarfraz Farooq, 46, director of Condor Estates (pictured left), was one of five men who were arrested after police uncovered a sophisticated network run through the firm. The investigation exposed links to cannabis cultivation, fraudulent tenancy agreements, the purchase of specialist hydroponic equipment and money laundering.

Luton Crown Court heard that Farooq was responsible for a significant quantity of fraudulent documentation, including paperwork used to create false tenancy agreements for properties being used for cannabis cultivation. He used homes belonging to genuine landlords who trusted the agency to legitimately rent out their properties and were provided with what they believed to be valid tenancy agreements and rental payments.

Cannabis factories were discovered in 2024 at 19 properties in Luton and one in Milton Keynes, with cannabis growing equipment found at another. Almost 2,000 plants were recovered from the properties, worth up to £800,000.

Properties

Uan Gogu, 42, (pictured right) played a central role in establishing the 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, 33, who purchased hydroponic equipment, while Mohammed Farooq, 76, bought a property in cash that was subsequently discovered to be operating as a cannabis factory.

Sarfraz Farooq, of St Catherines Avenue, Luton, was sentenced to eight years and four months’ imprisonment and has been disqualified from acting as a company director for 10 years.

Conspiracy

Uan Gogu, of Ashcroft Road, Luton, was sentenced to six and a half years imprisonment for conspiracy offences and possession relating to the cannabis factories. Zohaib Riaz Ali, of Biscot Road, Luton, was handed a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, for intentionally encouraging the offence. Glentjan Sefaj, 29, of Latimer Drive, Hornchurch, received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, for conspiracy, and Mohammed Farooq, 76, of St Catherines Avenue, Luton, received a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, for his role in money laundering.

Detective chief inspector Simon Mullan says 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,” he adds.

“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.”

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