Four members of an organized criminal group involved in the large-scale production and supply of cannabis have been sentenced to over 11 years in prison in total.
The conviction comes after an investigation revealed that the Albanian criminal group (OCG) had secured over £500,000 in profits between 2023 and 2025.
The group was led by two brothers, Sefedin and Eldi Tafa, who stood at the head of the organization, controlling the cultivation facilities and providing the necessary materials and properties.
Alongside them was Servet Dobrushi, who organized the sale of the produced cannabis.
At the next level were trusted associates, Asterjo Sata and Reols Havalja, who supervised the cultivation and transported the cannabis and the money earned around the country.
The group also used an insurance broker, Simon Jackson, responsible for creating fake car insurance policies, making the group's vehicles appear legitimate and enabling illegal activities to take place covertly.
A number of people with lower roles in the chain – involved as “gardeners” in cultivation – were identified and have already faced justice.
The operation was dismantled.
The operation was dismantled after police discovered a cannabis cultivation facility in Aragon Close, Southend, in the early hours of the morning of August 30, 2023.
Cannabis plants, a vacuum-sealed bag of cannabis, a bag of ground cannabis, £5,000 in cash and a wallet with a driving licence in the name of Eldi Tafa were found inside the property.
A notebook with handwritten notes containing the names “Alberti,” “Sefi,” and “Olsi” was also seized. “Olsi” was the nickname the group used for Havalja.
Havalja's fingerprints were found on the screen of a phone found in a bedroom drawer, as well as on a jar of coins in the same room.
In total, 446 healthy and well-maintained cannabis plants were found. If they were sold wholesale in kilograms, their value was estimated at up to 118,050 pounds.
The seized money underwent forensic examination and Sata's fingerprints were identified on the banknotes.
A wider operation was discovered
The Serious and Organised Crime Unit then uncovered a wider network stretching from Southend to Wales.
Sefedin Tafa was arrested in early 2024 in Westcliff. During a search of the Audi he was travelling in, £1,460 in cash was found on him and a video showing a cannabis cultivation facility was discovered on his phone.
During the search of the relevant apartment, approximately 50 grams of cannabis and 27,720 pounds in cash were found, which were seized.
Other members of the group were arrested in Caerphilly, Wales, where 10 kilograms of cannabis worth up to £52,000 were seized.
Asterjo Sata was arrested in June 2024 while driving a vehicle from Brighton to Southend. £34,320 in cash, a firearm (pistol) and two phones were found in the vehicle.
During the search of his apartment, expensive clothing and accessories were seized, including a wristwatch and handbag, as well as receipts for luxury goods.
As part of the investigation, a search warrant was executed in Rochford Avenue, Westcliff, where a sophisticated cannabis cultivation facility over three floors, worth an estimated £35,550, was discovered.
In October 2024, insurance broker Simon Jackson was arrested in Brentwood.
During a search of his flat, many expensive clothes, sneakers and champagne were found, as well as over £3,000 in cash. Notebooks with hundreds of email addresses and handwritten numbers were also seized.
He was found to have generated £360,000 in criminal profits through fraudulent insurance policies.
Eldi Tafa remains wanted and is believed to be hiding outside the United Kingdom. Efforts to locate and arrest him are ongoing.
In total, authorities seized 71,780 pounds of cash and 78.5 kilograms of cannabis.
The documentation also showed that a further 80 kilograms of cannabis had been sold, generating over £500,000 in wholesale profits.
Fines
The group was charged by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The trial was scheduled for December, but each pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Friday, February 13, at Basildon Crown Court.
Sefedin Tafa, 33, admitted conspiracy to cultivate and supply cannabis and was sentenced to 4 and a half years in prison.
Asterjo Sata, 22, admitted conspiracy to cultivate, supply and benefit from criminal property; was sentenced to 32 months in prison.
Reols Havalja, 28, pleaded guilty to the same charges; was sentenced to 23 months in prison and faces deportation proceedings upon release.
Servet Dobrushi, 34, pleaded guilty to the relevant charges and was sentenced to 27 months in prison.
Simon Jackson, 40, admitted fraud by false representation; his sentence will be given at a later date.
"A sophisticated and widespread operation"
Detective Chief Inspector Steve Robson of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit said the group operated a sophisticated network based in Southend that stretched across the UK. He said the investigation was complex and extensive to secure all the evidence, while the guilty pleas from the accused showed the strength of the case.
He stressed that the supply of cannabis is closely linked to organised crime and often serious violence, so the police remain determined to crack down on these groups in Essex and beyond.
“A plague on the health and well-being of communities”
Giorgina Venturella, a prosecutor specializing in economic and organized crime at the CPS, said that the joint work of the prosecution and the police led to the disruption of the activity of this group, which posed serious harm to the health and well-being of communities.
She added that the next step is the confiscation of criminal proceeds, to ensure that convicts do not profit from their illegal activity, including money and high-value items such as cars and luxury watches.
