An Albanian couple in Birmingham have been sentenced after cannabis and thousands of pounds of undeclared cash were found in their home.
Albanian nationals Kristian Lleshi, 35, and Xhulijana Trimi, 29, were arrested in September last year. Investigators searched the home and found two large garbage bags in the attic containing seven kilograms of cannabis in vacuum-packed bags and another two kilograms in a TK MAXX bag on the steps of the building.
According to foreign media, they also found a total of £51,450 in cash, which was hidden in various places around the house, including a wallet and a bag in the dressing room, on the bedside table, in a protein shake container, in the wardrobe in the master bedroom and under the bed in the second bedroom. At the same time, many high-value items were seized, including gold jewelry, handbags and shoes. The pair were arrested on suspicion of possession of cannabis with intent to supply cannabis and money laundering offences.
Lleshi gave an interview without comment, but Trimi said she was unaware of the drugs or cash, had only known Lleshi for three months through a car wash in Banbury where they both worked, and that they were not in a relationship. She also claimed she had purchased the high-value second-hand goods on sites such as eBay and Vinted.
However, her Facebook page showed that the couple had been in a relationship since at least 2023, with Trim commenting ‘I love you sweetheart’ under a picture of them in Cornwall. Receipts were also found showing direct purchases from Selfridges in cash rather than these items coming from eBay. A second man in the house was found to be an immigration offender and was handed over to the Office of Immigration Enforcement.
The operation also led to the discovery of a cannabis farm at an address in Dudley, with £78,000 worth of plants removed and destroyed from the property. Investigations are ongoing in relation to this seizure. Lleshi and Trimi pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court on 7 October and 4 March respectively. At the same court on 24 June, Lleshi was sentenced to two years and two months in prison and Trimi to 18 months.