Cannabis Farm Maintenance Man Linked to £800,000 Drugs Factories Jailed
A maintenance worker tied to multiple cannabis farms in Northumberland has been sentenced to prison for his role in the drug operation
Northumberland, Cannabis, Drugs, Tuan Pham, Yong Tran
Ashington: A maintenance man for cannabis farms has been sentenced to prison. Tuan Pham was linked to drug factories worth over £800,000.
He was involved with five farms in Ashington and Lynemouth, Northumberland. These places had over 2,000 plants, enough for about 16,000 deals.
Pham and another man, Yong Tran, both entered the UK illegally and sought asylum. They were caught after police investigations led to their arrests.
In February 2023, police seized a phone during an unrelated case, which connected Pham to several farms. One farm in Lynemouth had 233 plants worth around £97,000.
Another farm in Ashington had between 450 and 500 plants. Police even found video footage of Pham at that location. He was also linked to a third farm with 559 plants.
Pham was caught discussing equipment at one of the farms. He had also dropped off supplies at another location where 379 plants were found.
Tran was arrested at that site, where he was taking care of the plants. Pham admitted to being involved in cannabis production and was sentenced to three-and-a-half years.
Tran got nine months but has already served seven on remand, so he’ll be out soon. Both men had claimed asylum, but Pham’s application was denied.
Pham’s lawyer said he was just following orders and trying to pay off debts. Tran was approached in a park and offered a job, which led him into this situation.