Crime, News

Crime gang caught posing as utility workers in Nottinghamshire jailed for nationwide cannabis power scam

A criminal gang who worked ‘in plain sight’ posing as a legitimate utility company while connecting electricity to cannabis farms across the UK have been jailed following a key arrest in Nottinghamshire.

The group of eight men have been sentenced to a combined total of 28 years in prison for their roles in the elaborate operation, which involved splicing electricity mains to divert the supply to empty houses, warehouses and disused shops where cannabis was being grown on an industrial scale.

Police had been tracking a company set up by leaders of the gang, called ‘Elev8 Civils and Utilities Ltd.’ which was based in Wigan and Liverpool.

The operation spanned three years and involved 54 jobs where the gang had illegally diverted electricity to cannabis farms up and down the country.

A key arrest in building the case against the men took place in Mansfield Woodhouse last January, when two officers were called to investigate a suspicious group of workmen on the High Street.

The officers arrived and met by a trio of hi-vis clad men, with one of the men, Graham Roberts explaining that they were digging up the pavement in search of a water leak.

One of the officers, PC Gardiner, noticed Roberts had one detail that was completely out of place for men doing this kind of work – his trainers.

PC Gardiner said: “At first Roberts and the two men with him looked legitimate. They were dressed in high vis clothing and had most of the tools and accessories you’d expect to see at a legitimate work site.

“One thing you don’t expect to see, however, is someone wearing soft shell trainers around heavy industrial machinery.

“That was an instant red flag and led us to arrest him on suspicion of unlawfully extracting electricity and criminal damage.”

Once back at the station the officers realised Roberts was already the subject of a national investigation led by the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit. Roberts was released on bail and later charged for his role in the national crime scheme.

A key piece of evidence was also recovered during their visit to Mansfield Woodhouse – a GPS enabled scanning device used to detect underground power cables.

Described as “professional enablers” by James Allison, Senior Crown Prosecutor, the gang illegally extracted £253,980 worth of electricity at at least 54 different locations.

The properties had an estimated value of £7-22 million pounds worth of cannabis across the sites, which were being operated by organised crime gangs, some from Albania.

Under the cover of their legitimate registered company ‘Elev8 Civils & Utilities Ltd’ the eight men claimed to be involved in the construction of water projects.

The men who were sentenced, either were ‘directors’ of the company, or claimed to have ‘worked’ there.

On 10 October 2024, at Liverpool Crown Court, Ross McGinn and Andrew Roberts pleaded guilty to encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence believing it to be in contravention of S45 of the Serious Crime Act, conspiring to steal and conspiring to abstract electricity.

Graham Roberts, Greg Black, Michael Ashurst, Lewin Charles, Aiden Doran, Luke Whenary and Jack Sherry pleaded guilty to Encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence believing it to be in contravention of S45 of the Serious Crime Act and conspiring to abstract electricity.

On 6th and 7th of March this year the men were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to a combined total of 28 years.

At the sentencing Judge David Potter said: “The work these defendants did was pivotal to the success of each cannabis farm for, without a successful connection or repair to an already compromised connection, the farm could not operate.

“All the defendants knew or came to know the purpose of their work. They were each driven by greed to continue this illegal trade. By their organised criminal actions, they encouraged or assisted other organised criminals to grow, harvest and distribute a massive quantity of cannabis.”