Glenwood Cannabis Farmer Avoids Jail

A shopkeeper's avoided a jail term after admitting having an estimated £100,000 cannabis farm in a Glenrothes Shopping centre.

Muhamed Arif had more than 100 plants at his Costcutters store and neighbouring units in the Glenwood Centre.

The 47 year old father of four was sentenced to 300 hours of unpaid community work at Dunfermline Sheriff Court earlier.

He was also placed on an eletronic tag restricting him to his home address from 7pm til 7am for the next four months.

Arif, had previously been given a large fine for selling counterfeit wine from the shop, and was caught with the Class B drugs in a raid on the premises in February last year.

He admitted knowing cannabis was growing there but claimed he thought it was only a small cultivation.
 
Arif, 47, of Loyne Court, Glenrothes, pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge of being concerned in the production of cannabis between November 1 2013 and February 27 2014.
 
Paul Mullen, defending, said: "Police had received information and he attended advising that he didn't operate the units.
 
"The units were let out, he said he knew little about it but he knew enough to render him guilty.
 
"He takes this matter very seriously - his business collapsed as a result of this incident and he is now unemployed."
 
He was also placed on an eletronic tag restricting him to his home address from 7pm til 7am for the next four months.
 
Last year Arif was fined £1,000 while the company he is a director of - Costcutters Southfield Ltd - was fined £6,500 after he admitted selling fake bottles of Blossom Hill wine at the shop.
 
Arif had denied selling the counterfeit wine at his store in the Glenwood Centre, Glenrothes, but was found guilty after trial.
 
The shopkeeper has been convicted of, on March 9, without the consent of the proprietor, Diageo North America, offering for sale 46 bottles of wine which bore a sign identical to, or likely to be mistaken for, the Blossom Hill words and design.
 
He was also convicted of, on March 16, having a further 18 bottles of the fake Blossom Hill wine on sale at his store.