Man jailed for farming cannabis

10:28am Sunday 20th July 2008

CANNABIS farmer Jian Ju Wu has been jailed for two years for caring for hundreds of plants in a leafy Wroughton street.

The illegal immigrant was caught by police tending cannabis plants at a drugs factory.

He was looking after the massive crop at a four bedroom detached house at the end of a quiet residential street in the village.

But the 21-year-old Chinese man was caught when police raided the house in April.

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

They also discovered a similar amount of young plants.

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

After forcing entry to the house in 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," said Mr Thomas.

"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 his client needed 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 but soon found out.

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.

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

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