Chinese jailed for drugs offences

Yan Fu Zhang and Jin Chen ran a business with six others

Six men and two women from China have been jailed for running a cannabis production business worth £1.5m from nine houses in Norwich.

The gang were found guilty of conspiracy to produce cannabis plants and conspiracy to supply the drug.

Sentences at Norwich Crown Court ranged from 15 months to more than four years.

Judge Peter Jacobs recommended all for deportation on release and said: "You abused hospitality in this country and exploited people living here."

The gang posed as university students to rent houses which they turned into cannabis growing factories.

Yan Fu Zhang, 29, was jailed for four and a half years while his girlfriend Jin Chen, 23, received three years and three months.

Both were described as Chinese nationals.

Five people who gave addresses in Norwich were jailed - Shuang Cao, 24, who received four and a half years, Shen Chow, 28, three years, Guo Fa Chen, 37, two and a half years, Guang Lin, 27, two years and three months and Xing Lin, 25, fifteen months.

Guo Ren Chen, 38, who gave a home address in West Sussex was jailed for 18 months.