Two men jailed for drugs offences after Rugby police officers spot something wrong with their car

Left to right: Klaudi Mehmetaj and Vilson Hoxha.

Two men have been jailed for drugs offences, following a traffic stop which came about because the car they were travelling in was marked for non-payment of speeding fines.

The pair were sentenced at Warwick Crown Court last week after pleading guilty to producing cannabis and possessing criminal property.

Klaudi Mehmeta, 29, of Myddleton Road, London was sentenced to 18 months.

Vilson Hoxha, 33, of Elm Gardens, Lichfield also pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and was sentenced to 20 months.

He was also banned from driving for three years and 10 months.

The court heard how patrol officers spotted Hoxha driving a BMW in Rugby on October 8 last year.

The car had been flagged for non-payment of speeding fines so the officers decided to follow it.

Hoxha picked up Mehmetaj from a house in William Street, Rugby and a short time later the officers stopped the car in Gavel Road.

The officers became suspicious after smelling cannabis and a search of the car led to a large quantity of cash being seized.

A search of the house in William Street led to the seizure cannabis plants with a street value of more than £116,000.

Detective Constable Matt Rapkins from Rugby Proactive CID said: “This was a significant result as Hoxha and Mehmetaj were part of a criminal enterprise that contributes to misery and crime on the streets of Rugby.

“The discovery came about following excellent police work by officers on patrol in Rugby who followed their instincts and this led to a significant amount of drugs destined for the streets being seized.

“I urge members of the community with suspicions or concerns around the production or supply of drugs to contact police or Crimestoppers anonymously.

"We continue to work hard to tackle drug crime and will act on all information provided, no matter how insignificant it may seem.”

Anyone with concerns or information about drug production or supply can contact Warwickshire Police on 101. Details can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.