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Wales: Cannabis farmer ordered to pay a fiver

South Wales Echo

Saturday 03 Mar 2007

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A Vietnamese man who made more than £63,000 from growing cannabis in
Cardiff has been ordered to cough up for his crimes - by paying just £5.

Ba Ba-Phan, 33, had been running a cannabis farm for others at his home
in Cowbridge Road East, Canton, where more than 400 plants were found.

This cannabis factory was just one of 20 that police found in Cardiff
last year run by Vietnamese gangs.

Ba-Phan was jailed in November for 14 months when he pleaded guilty to
producing cannabis in the property which had been converted to create
the ideal environment to grow the drug.

It is usual for each member of the gang to have a different job whether
it is gardening, harvesting, or delivering the drugs.

Yesterday, he was back before Cardiff Crown Court for a
proceeds-of-crime hearing following an investigation into his finances.

Prosecutor John Lloyd said it had been agreed by the drug-grower's
lawyers that his benefit had been £63,331.

But it was also accepted that he had no assets and the court would be
asked to fix a nominal amount for repayment.

Judge John Curran said one cannabis crop had been harvested before
police got to the house.

He told Ba-Phan: 'You pleaded guilty to producing cannabis on a
considerable scale - in effect running a cannabis farm on behalf of others.'

Judge Curran made a confiscation order in the sum of just £5 with one
extra day in custody in default of payment.

But he warned: 'Should you come into money in the future the court will
be able to revisit this matter.'

After the hearing, Ba-Phan was returned to prison.

He is expected to be released, on licence, this summer, after serving
half the term.

The case provoked outrage from members of the public.

Robert Atkins, 37, a baker, of Gardner Close, Glyncoch, Pontypridd,
said: 'Surely he must have some kind of assets - I mean what did he do
with the £63,000?

'I'm sure they've tried and looked for the money but they need to try a
bit harder and keep looking because he's bound to have something to show
for it somewhere.

'If they can't get hold of it then he should be punished in some other
way, maybe by extending his sentence.'

Audrey Alward, 75, of Brynfedw, Bedwas, Caerphilly, said: 'They should
throw the book at him.

'If he can't pay the money back he should have to spend even longer in
prison.

'It's terrible.'

And MP for Cardiff West Kevin Brennan said:

'I would hope they would be trying to find out what he's done with the
money.'

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/

 

 

 

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