Two floors of the building in Peterlee were turned into a cannabis farm with sleeping quarters.
The leader of a drug gang who converted an office block into a cannabis farm has been jailed for seven years.
The 55-year-old, from Hertfordshire, appeared at Leeds Crown Court where he was also received a Confiscation Order of £304,208. Baghdadi's operation was uncovered after people noticed mattresses being moved into the vacant Ridgemount House office block.Two storeys were found to have been converted into a drugs farm with sleeping areas, food supplies and cooking utensils on one floor - and cannabis on the other.
The plants were estimated to have a street value in excess of £250,000, while the value of the equipment was thought to be worth £59,000.Image source,Det Sgt Jenna Cook, of Durham Police, said: "Baghdadi was an individual who moved into our area to commit his crime.
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