Trio created cannabis 'factories'

Four properties in the Tayside area were found to contain cannabis plants

Three men have admitted being involved in turning four houses in Tayside into cannabis factories.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that almost £200,000 of the drug was being grown at properties in the Dundee area.

Ping Chen, 28, and Ren Gao, 19, admitted being involved in supplying cannabis and Zi Sin Ling, 27, pled guilty to producing the drug.

They were caught leaving a house with cannabis worth £89,200. They will be in custody until sentencing in November.

Advocate depute Adrian Cottam said: "Intelligence gathered nationwide suggests that properties are being privately rented by Chinese and Vietnamese nationals who use the addresses solely for the purpose of cultivating cannabis."

He said that in January police received information that a house in West Road in the Liff area of Dundee was being used for growing cannabis.

He initially thought it was herbs then he later realised it was cannabis Adrian Cottam Advocate depute

A surveillance operation was put in place and Chen and Ling were seen leaving the house with bags and getting into cars.

Chen was later stopped and the suitcase was found to contain 25 kilos of cannabis, Ling was found with tubular venting and Gao was detained after police raided the house.

Chen, who had been living in Montrose in Angus, told police he had made contact with a man through a local Chinese community newspaper and was to be paid £250 a week to pick up luggage.

He said he did not know the suitcase contained cannabis.

Gao said he was approached with a work offer and was taken to the house in West Road, where he stayed for three months, watering the plants and switching lights on and off.

"He initially thought it was herbs then he later realised it was cannabis," said Mr Cottam.

'Crime gangs'

Ling admitted that he had helped cut the buds from the cannabis plants and was expecting to be paid for the work.

Mr Cottam said that after the arrests police made further inquiries and found a link to a house in Portree Avenue in the Baldovie area of Dundee.

A search of the house found 131 cannabis plants, estimated to be worth up to £26,000, and Ling's fingerprints.

Another cannabis factory was found at Findowrie Street in the Fintry area, where 240 plants had been under cultivation but had died.

In March, police found bales of stripped cannabis plants at a house in Sherbrook Crescent in the Downfield area of the city, where lights appeared to be on timers.

Mr Cottam said: "The main players in these operations are linked to Asian crime gangs and there is nothing to suggest that the present accused are anything other than paid labour."