Cannabis factory operators Edward and Daniel McCann has been given custodial sentences for running what Crown Court judge Geraint Walters described as ‘the most sophisticated operation I’ve seen in my career’.
“The reality is that cannabis factories such as yours are a blight on our communities,” he said during this afternoon’s sentencing at Swansea Crown Court.
“More often than not, the court has to deal with those that are simply brought in to work in desperately poor conditions, but we rarely net those that are part of criminal gains and who make vast amounts of money.
“But when those people are brought to book, they must expect the full weight of the guidelines.”
The McCanns' seven-year cannabis operation began in 2013 at the their former family home in Hampshire.
But as their cannabis production grew more successful, Edward McCann, a former Special Service Communicator in Afghanistan, began a meticulous search for a secluded property large enough to contain a purpose-built factory.
This was when they re-located to Cwmbach, near Whitland.
The secluded property, described in court as ‘impressive’, had a large barn from which they operated their sophisticated operation.
On October 23, 2020, uniformed officers executed a search warrant and began discovering the full extent of the production.
After breaking through a locked wooden gate, they entered the McCanns’ highly sophisticated cannabis factory which was operating inside a barn.
Here they discovered six purpose-built rooms containing a total of 202 plants in various stages of growth and a very large ‘mother plant’ from which cuttings were taken.
Each room had been fitted with a hydroponic system which enabled the plants to be grown without soil as well as specialist lighting, humidifiers and fans.
The mains powerline had been illegally bypassed while CCTV cameras which surrounded the property had been manipulated with the result that they only recorded at certain times of the day.
Inside the barn was an industrial oven containing tins with cannabis residue which had been used to produce ‘cannabis edibles’ including chocolate.
A magnifying glass and secateurs used to trim the cannabis were found lying on a kitchen table.
Some 80kg of cannabis products were seized which had a potential value of between £743,000 and £1,457,000 as well as keys to a Porsche and a Mercedes.
Officers also discovered a large number of empty tins and two tin-sealing machines which confirmed that the enterprise was supplying tinned cannabis for greater longevity and a cannabis oil extractor.
On the first floor the officers discovered a number of clothes horses which were being used to dry the cannabis while ten bundles, each containing £1,000 in cash, were discovered in one of the bedrooms in the family home.
Barrister Ian Wright, representing the Crown, then read out a number of text message which had been found on their mobile phones.
These related to how the family had carefully chosen the property, their discussions concerning their plans for its development as well as business transactions.
One text told of how ‘three people got f***** on one joint last night’ while another questioned whether the Welsh market would be sufficient to maintain their ever-expanding business – ‘If the Welsh market isn’t big enough, then Surrey will take it’.
There was also a text relating to the quality of the cannabis they were producing, stating that one ounce could fetch as much as £180 on the open market.
The total potential value of the operation when police searched it was between £2,200,000 and £3,450,000.
Both men pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiracy to produce and supply cannabis in Hampshire between 2013 to 2015 and two further charges of conspiracy to produce and supply cannabis from Cwmbach between 2015 and 2020.
Meanwhile Judge Geraint Walters said that Edward McCann, a father of two children and a former Special Servies Communicator, had played the leading role in the entire cannabis factory operation.
“It’s a matter of common sense,” he said.
“You moved to a smallholding in Whitland from Hampshire with the sole intention of setting up a cannabis factory.”
Daniel McCann was sentenced to eight years and six months in custody while his 62-year-old father was sentenced to seven years and seven months.
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