Men who ran £500k drug factories jailed

Oliver Ngo and Thang Le were caught after they were linked to producing the illegal drug during the crackdown.

West Midlands Police say officers found cannabis with a street value of £500,000 at a factory on their patch.

The convictions come after a joint investigation by West Midlands Police and the National Crime Agency. The men were spotted going in and out of a property on Elmton Road in the Cresswell area of Derbyshire last July.

It was later raided leading to the discovery of almost 1,000 plants, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

Officers also found a mobile phone inside which contained details of addresses in Long Lane, Halesowen.

Officers discovered a cannabis factory in three houses there in March last year. The mobile phone also included details of the home address of Le.

When Le's house was searched, £13,000 and one kilogram of cannabis was found hidden behind a bath panel. Ngo, aged 26, of Handsworth, Birmingham, was sentenced to six years in prison for producing cannabis.

He was given an 18-month concurrent sentence for possession of criminal property. Ngo was already on licence for a previous offence of possession with intent to supply cannabis.

Le, 40, from Chiswell Road, Winson Green, was sentenced to three years in jail for producing cannabis and an 18-month concurrent sentence for possession of criminal property.

They both pleaded guilty to all charges.

Detective Constable Thomas Frenchum, who led the investigation, said: "Oliver Ngo and Thang Le produced illegal drugs across two major cities and I am pleased that they will have a considerable amount of time in prison to think about their actions.

"Perhaps the most satisfying thing to come out of this case is that we have taken over £500,000 worth of cannabis off the streets of the West Midlands, which is a great success.

"This also sends a message to others who produce and sell illegal drugs that we will find you and bring you to justice."