Illegal immigrant tended cannabis factory (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Illegal immigrant tended cannabis factory

6:27am Monday 21st July 2008 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

An illegal immigrant who was tending hundreds of cannabis plants at a drugs factory has been jailed for two years.

Jian Ju Wu was looking after the valuable crop at a four bedroom detached house at the end of a quiet residential street in Wroughton.

But the 21-year-old Chinese man was caught after police executed the search warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act at the house on the morning of Thursday April 10.

Inside they found 235 mature plants with a street value of almost £100,000 plus a similar mount of young plants.

Richard Thomas, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court on Friday officers were joined on the raid by representatives from the electricity board.

After forcing entry to the house on Maunsell Way they found Wu, who had overstayed on a visa, in an upstairs bedroom.

"The house had been converted into what is commonly known as a cannabis factory," he said.

"Two of the rooms upstairs were full of what were believed to be at the time cannabis plants along with substantial lighting and ventilation systems.

"These were linked to pipes and ducts in the attic. The front lounge was also filled with plants and lighting as was the garage.

"A hole had been knocked through the kitchen wall leading directly to the garage and there were plants in the garage as well."

He said in one room officers found the 235 mature plants and in another a further 235 at an earlier stage of development.

Mr Thomas said that the mature plants when harvested would have had a street value of about £97,140.

He said that the younger plants showed evidence of a continuous cycle which would bring an annual return of £291,420 based on three harvests a year.

Wu, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the production of cannabis.

Richard Williams, defending, said "It has been accepted that the defendant was acting at a relatively low level position in the hierarchy for a relatively short period of time.

"The defendant accepted and accepts assisting with the production of the cannabis in terms of watering and adjusting the temperature for several days before his arrest."

He said that his client was in need of somewhere to live when he was offered a roof over his head in Swindon.

When he went to the property he said he did not know what was happening there, but soon found out after his arrival.

Mr Williams said his client was expecting a prison term for what he had done.

Jailing him Judge Douglas Field said "At that house there was a well organised and extensive operation to produce substantial amounts of cannabis.

"This means that it is a serious offence. I accept that you were at the very bottom of the organisation but an element of deterrent has to be put into the sentence to deter others who might decide to take on the tasks that you did for the reasons that you did."

He added "It is s matter for the immigration department to take what steps they think fit about your remaining in the country."