An Albanian citizen, Almir Chahani, has appeared in court in England accused of being involved in a large-scale cannabis cultivation. Police found him hiding in an attic after he breached the building using bolt cutters.

During a raid on the former Buccleuch Hotel on Trinity Street, authorities seized 77kg of Class B cannabis, with an estimated street value of £771,000, as well as 410 plants that had not yet fully matured.

At Jedburgh Crown Court, Cahani pleaded guilty to producing Class B drugs, while charges of contravening the Electricity Act were dropped. His sentencing, scheduled for next month, is almost certain to result in a prison sentence, according to Sheriff Peter Paterson.

Last month, Cahani's co-defendant, 41-year-old Dritan Katana, also an Albanian, was sentenced to 28 months in prison for similar offences and told he would be deported after serving his sentence. Cahani's case will be heard again on September 2.