Two illegal Vietnamese migrants have been jailed for 40 months each after police uncovered a £525,000 cannabis cultivation operation inside a Dundee property.
£525,000 Cannabis Farm Found in Residential Property
Ban Van Nguyen, 54, and Long Van Le, 33, were arrested after officers raided a house in Dighty Gardens, Dundee, on 16 January, finding hundreds of plants and processed cannabis ready for sale.
During the search, 510 cannabis plants — with an estimated street value of £382,500 — were discovered growing in almost every room of the three-bedroom home. In addition, officers recovered over 14kg (30.8lb) of dried cannabis, worth another £143,060, which was being prepared for distribution.
In total, the drugs seized were valued at more than four times the worth of the property itself.
Police Raid Uncovers Large-Scale Cannabis Operation
Fiscal depute Duncan McKenzie told Dundee Sheriff Court that the house had been fully converted into a commercial cannabis farm.
“Most rooms in the property had been converted into a cannabis cultivation,” he said. “Their DNA was found on various items throughout the property.”
Both Nguyen and Le admitted to being concerned in the supply of cannabis, a charge under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
The court also heard that neither man had the legal right to remain in the UK, and both are currently wanted by the Home Office over their immigration status.
Sheriff: “You Were Not Victims of Trafficking”
Sentencing the pair, Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith acknowledged that while many people involved in such operations are victims of exploitation, that was not the case for Nguyen and Le.
“They are often subject to threats and intimidation and are often little more than slaves for their ultimate masters — you are not in that position,” the sheriff said.
He accepted that both men had acted as “gardeners” within the operation and were not senior figures in the wider criminal network.
Ongoing Immigration Action
Following their prison sentences, both Nguyen and Le are expected to be transferred into Home Office custody, where officials will determine their immigration status and possible deportation.
Police Scotland have reiterated their commitment to tackling organised drug crime, warning that large-scale cannabis farms continue to fuel serious criminal activity across Scotland.
