Vietnamese man The Le has been jailed for his part in a large cannabis growing operation west of Whangārei last year. Photo / Mike Dinsdale
Vietnamese man The Le has been jailed for his part in a large cannabis growing operation west of Whangārei last year. Photo / Mike Dinsdale
A Vietnamese man who says he was paid $250 a week to run a multi-million dollar profiting cannabis growing enterprise on the outskirts of Whangārei has been jailed.
The Le, 37, was jailed for three years and four months at his sentencing in the Whangārei District Court on Tuesday.
Le had earlier pleaded guilty to a single charge of cultivating cannabis.
Judge Taryn Bayley applied discounts for Le's early guilty plea and personal circumstances to a sentencing starting point of four years and six months' imprisonment.
Le, an illegal immigrant in New Zealand, will likely be deported when he finishes his sentence.
The court heard how police had started to make inquiries into large scale cannabis operations in Northland when, in August last year, they received information that suggested a Maungatapere property was being used to grow the drug.
Police raided the property on September 16 last year and found a large polyhouse split in two. On one side, 1068 juvenile plants were growing while the other side was set up with containers ready to plant clones for more growing.
Vietnamese man The Le has been jailed for his part in a large cannabis growing operation west of Whangārei last year. Photo / Mike Dinsdale
Police estimated the street value of the cannabis found would have been around $1.4 million. The operation was capable of producing three crops a year.
Uncovered evidence indicated there had been at least one previous grow at the property, west of Whangārei.
Le was the only person found at the property. During his police interview, he told officers he was paid $250 a week to grow the plants and that he may get a bonus at the end.
Evidence showed Le had received $500 for the work when he was arrested.
Judge Bayley said Le was the main breadwinner for his family back in Vietnam and his imprisonment would cause particular hardship to his mother, father and sister
She said Le would have a harder time than most in prison because he did not speak English and had no family to support him.
Judge Bayley said she had some scepticism about Le's claims he had no choice but to become involved with the operation after initially thinking he had been offered a horticulture job.
She said three major outdoor cannabis growing operations had been busted in Northland in recent years - all involved Vietnamese nationals. Although Judge Bayley accepted Le was not a main player in the growing operation.
She did not impose any post-release conditions on Le, saying as his visa had expired in October 2019, he was an overstayer and would likely be deported once he finished his jail term.
