Two men have each been jailed for three years for “babysitting” a cannabis factory in a peaceful village.
Egidijus Andzelis, 22, and Inas Maksimavicius, 26, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court having previously pled guilty to producing and being concerned in the supply of cannabis.
The offence happened on July 26 at an address on Elphin Street in New Aberdour.
Defence agent Stuart Flowerdew, representing Andzelis, said his client was from Lithuania and was offered work in the north-east of Scotland.
He came to the area in a van “without knowing details of the employment”.
Mr Flowerdew added: “I think what he accepts is that he was reckless.
“There’s an element of recklessness about how he obtained the work.
“His position is he had not planned to involve himself in this situation, but in obtaining the work he has effectively exposed himself to the situation and having found himself in that he made no efforts to contact the police.
“He’s not responsible for the setting up of an operation of this level.
“As soon as he accepts the offer of undesignated employment he essentially loses control of the situation.”
Solicitor Leonard Burkinshaw, representing Maksimavicius, said his client was in a “very similar” situation.
He said Maksimavicius had come to the area initially “on the promise of work in a fish factory but thereafter agreed to look after the cannabis”.
He added: “These are the people who were brought up to effectively babysit this particular growing operation.
“Obviously the operation had been ongoing for some time before he had been asked to look after the property.”
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin ordered Andzelis and Maksimavicius, whose addresses were given as HMP Grampian, to be jailed for three years.
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