Illegal Immigrants Jailed for Working in Hawes Cannabis Farm
Two illegal immigrants were sentenced for cultivating cannabis in a Hawes industrial unit, highlighting ongoing issues with human trafficking.
Hawes, UK, Cannabis, Illegal Immigration, Human Trafficking
Hawes: So, there were these two guys caught growing cannabis in an industrial unit. The police got tipped off by a fireman who smelled something fishy. They raided the place and found 755 cannabis plants. Can you believe that?
The cops figured the whole operation could’ve raked in between £63,000 and £317,000. Turns out, one of the guys, Son Le, had been kicked out of the UK before for the same thing. He snuck back in earlier this year to work for some shady bosses.
Both men admitted to growing the stuff but claimed they were just gardeners. The prosecution had their doubts but didn’t have enough proof to challenge it. Son Le had come to the UK illegally back in 2003 and was caught up in this mess again.
They were both in pretty rough shape and said they were forced to work under threats. The landlord of the unit had no clue what was going on and helped the police get in. When they arrived, Son Le pretended he didn’t speak English until they got an interpreter.
After some digging, the police found all sorts of equipment set up for large-scale cannabis production. Son Le had been deported before but managed to sneak back in through an unknown port. His defense said he was just trying to help his sick parents back in Vietnam.
The judge wasn’t having it, though. He said Son Le knew what he was getting into and needed to be punished to deter others from doing the same. In the end, Son Le got 18 months in jail, while Hao Le received eight months for his lesser role in the operation.