A cannabis farm maintenance man linked to drugs factories worth more than £800,000 has been jailed.
Vietnamese national Tuan Pham was involved with five cannabis farms in Ashington and Lynemouth, Northumberland, containing more than 2,000 plants and capable of providing users with around 16,000 deals of the drugs, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
Now Pham and a “gardener” at one of the properties, Yong Tran, both of who came to the UK illegally and sought asylum, have been given prison sentences.
The court heard Pham was linked to numerous cannabis farms as a result of the seizure of a mobile phone from someone as part of an unrelated investigation in February 2023.
One of them was at West Market Street, Lynemouth, which was searched by police in May 2022 and found to contain 233 plants worth up to £97,000. A man arrested at the scene had Pham’s number in his phone and his fingerprints were also found within the property.
Another farm was found by police at Chichester Close, Ashington, in March 2023, where between 450 and 500 plants were found. Police found video footage showing Pham speaking to others in that farm.
A third cannabis farm was found at the old fire station building in Ashington, on August 2, where 559 plants were found, worth up to £235,000. Pham was filmed discussing venting ducts with a man at that property.
He was also linked to a cannabis farm at Station Road, Ashington, where he had dropped off shopping. Police searched that address in May last year and found 379 plants worth up to £150,000. Tran was arrested from that address, where he had been tending to the plants.
Yong Tran, aka Von Tran, jailed for producing cannabis
(Image: Northumbria Police)
On the same day, police searched a house on George Street, Ashington, where they found 389 plants worth up to £145,000.
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Pham admitted being concerned in the production of cannabis, by maintaining equipment, between April 2022 and May 2024, in relation to the five addresses and more than 2,000 plants worth up to £821,000. He was jailed for three-and-a-half years.
Tran admitted producing cannabis at Station Road and was jailed for nine months although he has served seven months on remand so is time-served.
The court heard the men entered the UK illegally. Both claimed asylum and Pham’s application was rejected while Tran is awaiting a decision on his.
Lorraine Mustard, of Pham, said he worked under the direction of others carrying out maintenance tasks and also bought food for himself and others. She added that he had initially worked in the construction industry having come to the UK from Vietnam to try to earn money to pay off debts.
Jordan Parkinson, for Tran, said: “He found himself in a position where he was approached in a public park by men who offered him a job and a place to stay.”
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