Major Cannabis Farm Bust Leads to Arrests in Leeds

Leeds City Council‘s leaders along with the LGBT+ staff network gathered outside the Civic Hall to show support for the upcoming Leeds Pride event this weekend. This annual celebration draws 50,000 attendees making it the largest free Pride event in the UK, consolidating the city’s unity.

The festivities kick off with the Pride Parade on Sunday, commencing opposite Leeds Town Hall and winding down to Lower Briggate. Leeds City Council contributes two access buses, one in the parade and another providing accessibility from Millennium Square to Lower Briggate.

Prior to the parade, Saturday’s events include a Pride-themed parkrun at Woodhouse Moor and an LGBT+ Marketplace at Brodrick Hall, Leeds City Museum, showcasing various services and support groups to enlighten attendees.

Furthermore, a Pride celebration service at Leeds Minster aims to bring reflection and poetry to the event’s essence. The council also supports the ‘Check In With Pride’ campaign by West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, advocating for mental health discussions within the LGBTQ+ community.

In a separate incident, six individuals were sentenced to over 13 years collectively after being involved in a £1m cannabis farm bust in Leeds. The raid conducted by the Inner North West and Inner North East Neighbourhood Policing Teams at premises on Upper Accommodation Road led to the seizure of cannabis valued at £970,200.

The convicted individuals, including Sandel-Lucian Butura, Andi Cjapi, Ilirjan Pilo, Besnik Sulovari, Valter Sulovari, and Emiljano Tumani, pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court to drug production charges. Sergeant Simon Green emphasized the community’s role in reporting such criminal activities to eradicate them from neighborhoods.