Sarfraz Farooq, 46, a director of Luton-based Condor Estates, has been sentenced to eight years and four months in prison. He was found to have used properties belonging to genuine landlords to facilitate a network of 19 cannabis factories.
Farooq was responsible for creating fraudulent tenancy agreements for properties used in the cannabis operation. Landlords continued to receive rental payments, believing their homes were legitimately let.
Bedfordshire Police's Operation Costello uncovered the network, which involved cannabis cultivation, fraudulent documents, hydroponic equipment, and money laundering. In 2024, police raided 20 properties, 19 in Luton and one in Milton Keynes, discovering cannabis factories at 19 locations.
Almost 2,000 cannabis plants were seized, with an estimated value of up to £800,000. Police estimate the operation could have produced cannabis worth over £2 million in 12 months had it continued undetected.
Four other men were also sentenced at Luton Crown Court on 10 September for their roles in the network. Uan Gogu, 42, received six-and-a-half years for conspiracy offences and possession related to the factories, which included bypassing electricity meters and causing fires at three properties.