LOCKED UP: CANNABIS FARMERS IN TRIAD LINK

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 UKP200,000 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."