Police arrest man for illegal electricity connection in Nottinghamshire

A police officer became suspicious after noticing a man's trainers while investigating a group of workmen in Nottinghamshire. The officers were called to Mansfield Woodhouse on January 29, 2024, when an off-duty colleague reported concerns about the group digging up the road. PC Pete Gardiner observed that the workman, Graham Roberts, was wearing flimsy trainers instead of proper footwear for construction. This raised a red flag for Gardiner. After questioning them, the officers arrested Roberts on suspicion of unlawfully extracting electricity and causing criminal damage. Once at the police station, officers discovered that Roberts was linked to a national investigation by the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit. He was part of a group accused of supplying electricity to cannabis farms run by Albanian gangs. The group used a fake company, Elev8 Civils and Utilities Ltd, to connect various buildings to the electricity grid, helping them avoid high utility costs. The group operated between November 2023 and February 2024, affecting at least 54 locations. During their arrest, police found a GPS device used to locate underground power cables, which revealed more locations they had worked on. In March 2025, Roberts and his co-defendants were sentenced to a total of 28 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to abstract electricity. The judge emphasized the damage caused by the drug trade and noted that the cannabis farms used a significant amount of electricity and generated millions in profit. He acknowledged that the defendants showed genuine remorse for their actions and had supportive families. However, he reminded them of the serious consequences of their involvement in the conspiracy.