Drugs ring locked up

May 31 2008 by Dan Warburton, The Journal

NINE members of a Vietnamese drug ring were yesterday handed sentences totalling almost 20 years for their role in the production of £2m of cannabis.

Around 3,500 cannabis plants, with a street value of £2m, were discovered when more than 100 police officers raided houses in Newcastle, North Tyneside and Gateshead last November as part of Operation Scorpion.

Four Newcastle properties – Newton Road, High Heaton; Simonside Terrace, Heaton; Wingrove Road, Fenham; and Fairholm Road, Benwell – were all found to contain huge cannabis farms, along with houses on Styan Avenue and Edwards Road, both Whitley Bay, and a house on Whitehall Road, Bensham, Gateshead.

As well as the cannabis, a substantial amount of equipment used for manufacture was seized and later destroyed.

Yesterday, Trong Van Nguyen, 27, previously of Benfield Road, Heaton, and described as the ring organiser, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison, with a recommendation for deportation.

Trong had spent more than a year travelling across land to enter the country illegally two years ago as he sought to find his parents.

After losing his job as a barber, and with huge debts accrued from his move to the country, coupled with his need for Chinese medicine to cure medical conditions, he became embroiled in the drug ring.

He convinced Suu Van Nguyen, 36, previously of Liverpool, who is a father of four married to a Chinese woman with British citizenship, to rent out property for the drugs operation. Nguyen was jailed for three years.

At Newcastle Crown Court, Long Nguyen, 23, of no fixed abode; Toan Quang Do, 27, of Edwards Road, Whitley Bay; Hoang Van Nguyen, 27, of Wingrove Road, Fenham; Huu Vinh Thai, 20, Newton Road, High Heaton; Nam Van Tran, 22, of Styan Avenue, Whitley Bay; Dong Quang Nguyen, 24, of Weldon Crescent, High Heaton; and Hop Thi Nguyen, 37, Whitehall Road, Bensham, were also all jailed for two years with a recommendation for deportation.

Passing sentence, Judge David Wood, highlighted the increasing number of Vietnamese drug rings which were forming cannabis farms.

He said: “In the past few years a large number of people have been entering the UK illegally and setting up cannabis farms.

“It’s not just a problem in the North East, but all over the country. The demands are high and there is a strong demand for skunk as it is called. Current street price is about £200 per ounce.

“The operations are well-organised, and involve renting houses, reversing electric meters and growing large crops with artificial conditions.

“Many of these operators come from Vietnam as do all of you in this case.

“You are illegal immigrants paid little or nothing to tend the plants and all of you have large debts to the people who helped you enter the country.”