Elderly Homeowner Returns to Devastated Property
Yehia Hassan, a 78-year-old man who uses a wheelchair and has diabetes, returned to his Luton residence to find it severely damaged and transformed into a cannabis farm. The discovery has reportedly had a significant impact on his health. Mr. Hassan expressed his distress, stating, "It was perfect in here. I just don't know how people can do this to someone else's property. It's the only place I have."
His terraced house was reportedly gutted by individuals who had rented the property, converting it into a large-scale cannabis cultivation operation while Mr. Hassan was in Egypt for hospital treatment. Police raids at his home and an adjacent property uncovered hundreds of cannabis plants, though the individuals responsible for the cultivation have not yet been apprehended.
Widespread Issue of Cannabis Cultivation in Rented Properties
Data obtained by the BBC indicates that thousands of cannabis farms have been discovered by police across England over the last three years. In Bedfordshire alone, police have confiscated plants with an estimated street value of approximately £6 million from residential properties during the same period.
Mr. Hassan, a retired foster parent, explained that he had rented his home to a local business owner, who was then permitted to sublet it. "I really trusted the guy," Mr. Hassan remarked. "He said he was going to look after the place. But honestly, I don't know who I can trust any more." He estimates that repairs to his home will cost tens of thousands of pounds.
Bedfordshire Police note a growing trend of "professional enablers subletting to criminal networks for the cultivation of cannabis." Detective Inspector Simon Mullan highlighted the involvement of estate agents in many such operations, citing the unregulated nature of the industry as a significant problem exploited by criminals.
"We are now seeing estate agents involved in many of the factories we enforce against," says Det Insp Simon Mullan. "Estate agents are unregulated, which is one of the big problems, and criminals are exploiting this industry for their own ends."
Family Impact and Ongoing Challenges
Mr. Hassan is currently residing with his ex-wife and is supported by his 19-year-old daughter, Razan, who has postponed her university plans to help address the situation. Razan explained that the property still lacks power because the renters rewired the house and were reportedly stealing electricity from the entire street.
The cannabis operation left no part of the home untouched. Walls were drilled for extractor fans, heavy lights were installed on ceilings, and a fence panel was removed, seemingly to facilitate access from a third property. The back garden was left resembling a landfill, filled with seed trays, lumber, compost, and empty bottles of growing solution. Ornate cabinets were dismantled, and bedrooms were strewn with the remnants of harvested plants.
Razan recalled the initial state of the house: "The house reeked when we first got here, it was genuinely atrocious for months." The family learned about the police raids through a Facebook post depicting their "decimated" home. This came as a shock, as the individual renting the property had assured them everything was fine just weeks prior.
The businessman who rented the property from Mr. Hassan, and subsequently sublet it to a builder, stated that he was unaware of the activities. He told the BBC, "He paid the rent on time and, I'm not going to lie, I wasn't checking on the property. I'm not an estate agent." He added, "At the end of the day, these things happen and I'm a few thousand pounds out of pocket myself."
Police Response and Broader Implications
Bedfordshire Police informed the BBC that while "no suspects had been identified" in Mr. Hassan's case, they are "working with the family to establish new lines of inquiry." The force has a dedicated team to combat organized crime related to cannabis cultivation and recently secured its first conviction of an individual who illegally sublet a property for such purposes.
Abdul Shakoor, Mr. Hassan's neighbor, noted that the criminals maintained a low profile. He recounted being woken by a loud noise during the police raid and witnessing one suspect fleeing. He also mentioned seeing three such farms on his road within two years.
It is estimated that 90% of the cannabis circulating in the UK is produced in farms established in rented homes. Deputy Chief Constable Paul Court of the National Police Chiefs Council stated that cannabis production is "linked to serious violence and exploitation." While acknowledging that the majority of landlords are law-abiding, he noted several recent cases where landlords have been prosecuted for their involvement in cannabis cultivation. Court advised landlords to "be vigilant and keep regular contact with tenants" to mitigate the impact of this crime on the rental sector.
Source: Our house was turned into a cannabis farm while Dad was in hospital