Three men jailed after farming £2.3m of cannabis in Galashiels

All of the jail time has been backdated to their arrest in March 2024. Credit: Police Scotland.

Three men have been jailed after farming £2.3m of cannabis in a Scottish Borders town.

Loarent Balla, 21, Joanis Melcani, 27, Besim Veliya, 63, and Seheptim Halil, 36, all appeared on drug supply charges at Selkirk Sheriff Court on 6 January 2025.

Police Scotland found nearly 3,000 cannabis plants during a raid of two buildings - known locally as the former Woolworths and Ladbrokes shops - on Channel Street, the town centre of Galashiels, on 26 March 2024.

Sheriff Peter Patterson sentenced Besim Veliya to 21 months in prison, Joanis Melcani to two years, and Loarent Balla to 18 months. All of the jail time has been backdated to their arrest in March 2024.

The sentencing of Shepetim Halil was deferred until the end of January after he refused to cooperate with the interpreter.

A fifth man, Petrit Musta, 48, was sentenced to 28 months in prison for similar drug charges in December 2024.

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