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UK: Vietnamese cannabis growers to be deported Rob Middleton Northampton Chronicle Saturday 06 Oct 2012 Illegal immigrants Thai Tran, 44, and 18-year-old Thanh Duong were arrested when police officers raided separate addresses in Perry Street, off Kettering Road, on May 23, and in Glasgow Street, St James in August 2011. Gary Short, prosecuting at Northampton Crown Court, said Tran was arrested during the raid of the Perry Street factory but then linked back to the Glasgow Street address by his fingerprints which had already been found on some of the equipment. Officers raided the Glasgow Street property on August 9 last year while executing a Misuse of Drugs Act warrant and discovered it had been converted into a cannabis factory. In three bedrooms and the basement they found 324 plants, which would yielded 16 kilos worth £92,500. The court heard Tran was not arrested at the time but when the second property in Perry Street was raided nine months later, both men were found inside and arrested. The basement, bedrooms and the attic contained 301 cannabis plants with a potential yield worth £86,000. Mr Short said: "The defendant Duong said that the day before , May 22, he was in a local shop when he bumped into his co-defendant and they started talking and he said he was offered the opportunity to earn some money. "On May 23, he attended the address and was told to pick the leaves and plants. He was also told he would earn a lot of money. He said he did not know what the plants were and was not acting out of duress but then said that at some point during his time at the address, he discovered they were illegal and it was at that point threats were made by his co-defendant and from that point he was acting under duress." Duong, who pleaded guilty to producing class B drugs, was jailed for 12 months, with automatic deportation. Judge Richard Bray said: "This is yet another cannabis factory here in Northamptonshire. It was quite a sophisticated operation. A large amount of drugs were capable of being produced and lots of money could have been made. I bear in mind you played a lesser role. "I understand the Home Office will be dealing with you as an illegal immigrant. I trust they will not forget to do their duty." Tran, who admitted two charges of producing cannabis, was jailed for 27 months and will also be deported to Vietnam. Judge Bray said: "You are yet another Vietnamese illegal immigrant involved in cannabis growing. "You have been described as a professional gardener - you knew perfectly well what you were doing and were thereby contributing to the flood of skunk cannabis which continues to pour onto our streets. There must be a sentence of imprisonment. I trust the Home Office will deport you." http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/crime/vietnamese-cannabis-growers-to-be-deported-1-4340853
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