Cannabis farmer who hid for eight hours during registry office raid jailed

A man who hid from police in the loft of a disused registry office that had been converted into a cannabis farm has been jailed.

Viktor Ymeralilaj, of no fixed address, was jailed for 16 months on Wednesday 18th February. The 31‑year‑old had pleaded guilty to the cultivation of cannabis at the first opportunity at Chester Crown Court.

The court heard that at around 9am on Monday 19th January 2026, officers from Macclesfield conducted a warrant at a former registry office on Park Green in the centre of the town.

The building, which consists of a cellar, two floors and a loft area, was derelict and had subsequently been boarded up for some time, making access inside the property considerably difficult.

However, once inside the property, officers located four separate rooms on the ground alone floor containing fully grown cannabis plants.

Moving further into the property, it became clear to the officers that the building had been converted into a large‑scale cannabis factory and that a number of people had been living there. Further searches resulted in officers finding fresh food items inside a kitchen area, several beds, a washing machine, and items of clothing hung up and drying.

A radiator in one of the sleeping areas was also found to be still warm, indicating that someone had been there recently.

Due to the size of the property, the search continued across the day. However, at around 5pm, an officer with a thermal heat gun found a trace of heat located in the loft area.

Inside was Ymeralilaj, who was found crouched behind a roof beam.

He was subsequently brought into custody, and whilst being taken to a cell he told officers he had been held at the cannabis farm against his will.

During his interview, he maintained that he had been held at the farm against his will by two men who employed him to feed and water the plants.

He went on to say that he had last seen these men around three weeks prior and that he had been locked inside the building to tend to the cannabis ever since.

However, despite his protests, he was subsequently charged with the offence.

Police Constable David Noon, of Macclesfield’s Neighbourhood Team, said:

“Viktor Ymeralilaj told us that he had been held captive at the former registry office on Park Green, Macclesfield, with no means of escape. However, the uncovering of several food items within the kitchen area that were still very much in date proved that someone had definitely been out and done their shop very recently.

“The building had been fully converted into a cannabis factory with living quarters, with the intention of producing the drug on a large scale, and we estimate the approximate street value of the cannabis we found to be worth upwards of £175,000.

“That cannabis has now been destroyed and the closure of this large‑scale operation will deal a considerable blow to the local drug trade, which I welcome.

“With that said, however, we rely on information from the public to help us locate and shut down operations such as this. So, I would urge anyone with any concerns or information about the cultivation or facilitation of drugs in their area to please contact their local beat team and leave the rest to us and our big red keys.”

Pictured - Viktor Ymeralilaj of no fixed address.