|
Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
|
|
UK: Jailed for setting up cannabis factories
Northern Echo
Saturday 30 Sep 2006 EIGHT people who ran three huge North-East drugs factories believed to be linked to London-based triads were given jail sentences yesterday. The seven men and one woman, who are all of Vietnamese origin, had been involved in the large-scale cultivation of cannabis at three houses in County Durham. Newcastle Crown Court heard that each cannabis factory had the potential to yield crops worth £200,000 a year. continued... Police were alerted to the operation when a member of the public reported suspicious activity at a house in Murphy Crescent, on the Woodhouse Close estate, in Bishop Auckland. Officers raided the property on September 10, last year, and were amazed to discover the house had been converted into a sophisticated cannabis cultivation operation. The property was jointly owned by Thai Thi Vu, 45, of Collingwood Street, Coundon, and Than Van Liu, 42, of Brancepeth Road, Ferryhill. They had bought the property in March last year with the sole intention of converting it into a cannabis farm, where 55-year-old sailor Hai Van Tran, an illegal immigrant, was employed as a "gardener". Within a week, police investigations led them to a series of other properties across the county. Almost identical factories were discovered at properties in Haig Terrace, in Ferryhill, owned by Kuay Khin Dip, 47, from London, and in High Street, West Cornforth, owned by Michael Quan, 43, of School Avenue, West Rainton, and Dip. More than 400 seedlings and 1.8 kilos of cannabis were discovered at the home of Thai Thi Vu and her 25-year-old husband, Quang Xuan Vu. Thien Van Nguyen, 24, had been paid to work as a driver's mate, delivering the equipment, and Nam Nguyen, 17, had taken a job as a gardener at Haig Terrace to repay a family debt. Forensic evidence also led police to the home of a ninth person, Phuc Danh San, 47, of Eden Close, Coundon, where they found growing equipment in the garage. Judge Michael Cartlidge said the group could be split into two, according to their level involvement in the operation. The "administrators" bought cheap properties with the sole intention of converting them into cannabis farms and the "gardeners" were employed to tend to the crops. He said: "Defendants Liu, Tran, Mrs Vu, Dip, Mr Vu and Quan were involved in conspiracy to produce huge quantities of cannabis. "There may be more important persons still to be arrested." Thai Thi Vu, Dip and Quan, were each sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison. Liu was jailed for five-and-a-half years. Police have been unable to trace Quang Xuan Vu and believe he may have returned to Vietnam. He was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison in his absence. Tran, Thien Van Nguyen and Nam Nguyen, were sentenced to 24, 15 and four months respectively. The teenager will serve his sentence as a detention and treatment order at a young offenders institution. The trio are expected to be deported after serving their sentence. Liu, Thien Van Nguyen and Nam Nguyen pleaded guilty at earlier proceedings, but the other six were convicted by a jury after a three-and-a-half week trial. Each was convicted of conspiracy to supply Class C drugs, except Thien Van Nguyen, who admitted being concerned with the production of cannabis. Sentencing of San was adjourned until Friday, October 27, for reports by the probation service. She was found guilty of conspiracy to supply, but Judge Cartlidge conceded she had been "put upon" by other defendants to store growing equipment in her garage. Detective Sergeant Lee Hurridge welcomed the sentences and said it should send a clear message to criminals that supply of any drugs would not be tolerated. He said: "I feel these sentences reflect the seriousness of what has been done. "The Vietnamese community is very tight-knit and we know there is a Vietnamese triad in London. Whether it is involved we do not know for certain, but this was definitely part of a larger-scale operation. "The people here may have only kept a cut of the money and the rest could have been going into serious organised crime, such as higher class drugs, prostitution and people trafficking." http://www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/display.var.946457.0.jailed_for_setting_up_cannabis_factories.php
After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.
|
This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.
Feel free to link to this page!