Morning:
3°c
Untold profits fuel the violent gang world of London’s cannabis farms
Tony Thompson2 Sep 2010
It seemed like the perfect crime. A south London street gang arranged to buy £30,000 worth of high-quality skunk cannabis from a team of Vietnamese growers that operated several successful “farms” across London and the south-east. The deal was set to take place in a car park close to McDonald's in Sutton, but instead of money, the gang produced hand guns and stole the drugs, safe in the knowledge that their victims, Khach Nguyen and Phac Tran, could never report the incident to the police.
When Nguyen and Tran returned to their Hackney base and told their boss, Hoc Kim Khoa, what had happened, he accused them of faking the robbery and demanded they repay the money. When they refused, the pair were kidnapped and taken to a remote farm in Surrey where, over the space of several hours, Nguyen was slowly beaten to death.
Though the south London street gang has never been found, last month the last of six men accused of Nguyen's murder was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Old Bailey. The disturbing case highlighted not only the ruthlessness of those involved in the trade but also the fact that British gangs are becoming increasingly aware of just how lucrative such operations can be.
When police stumbled across a sophisticated cannabis farm in a railway arch below Leyton Midland Road station in March this year, the high-tech watering system, extractor fans and sodium lights, all powered by electricity stolen direct from the national grid, indicated that they had found a typical Vietnamese-run operation.
In fact DNA and fingerprints found among the £100,000 worth of plants led them to father and son roller shutter manufacturers Stephen and Anthony Coe. Police believe the pair had moved into the drug world on behalf of a far larger gang — who they refused to name — and operated a nursery with plants being moved to larger premises once they reached an optimum size.
“There has been a change over recent years,” says Commander Allan Gibson of the Metropolitan Police, who is the lead officer on cannabis for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
“We're now finding there are more white British people involved — about 60 per cent of the people we identify currently fall into that category. It's a significant change. The nature of the criminality and the ways the criminals organise is changing.”
The gangs concentrate on cultivating strains that grow quickly and produce a more powerful high to give them a product that carries more bangs per buck and can therefore command a higher price. (An “eighth” of skunk — cannabis users have yet to go metric — retails on the street for between £20 and £25, though discounts are available for bulk buyers.) There are no transportation costs, no border controls to evade, and an eager customer base literally right outside the door of each operation — cannabis is by far the most popular and widely consumed illegal drug in the UK.
Set-up costs for a typical operation seemed to vary between £15,000 and £50,000 while annual profits on a single “grow house” run from £200,000 to £500,000. The crops are typically harvested up to four times a year. Special teams arrive at the factories, pull up all the plants and carry them away in laundry bags by dark to other premises where they are dried and bagged up. The Vietnamese gangs will normally sell in bulk to British gangs rather than getting directly involved in street dealing, where the risks of being caught are far higher.
An ACPO report released last month found illicit cannabis factory farmers are arming themselves with sawn-off shotguns, CS sprays and machetes and baseball bats to protect their crops from rival gangs. Police also found hidden weapons, such as a mobile phone fitted with electrodes on the top to shock anyone touched with it, and external booby traps, including one factory gate which had been wired directly to the mains electricity supply.
Most raids are never reported but those that do come to light show why such precautions are considered necessary. Last November, around a dozen members of another London drugs gang travelled to Northampton after getting a tip-off about a cannabis factory that had been set up in an old bakery building and was said to contain 3,000 plants worth more than £1 million.
Fully aware that booby traps may have been set, the gang proceeded to break into the building via the roof. As they began loading dozens of cannabis plants into a waiting van, they found themselves under attack by three Vietnamese “gardeners” who had been locked inside the building to care for the crop. A brawl broke out and quickly spilled into the street, both sides having armed themselves with metal bars, hammers and meat cleavers. Neighbours overheard the early morning commotion and called the police who arrested the gardeners and two of the gang's look outs.
Across the capital, when street gangs come into possession of large quantities of herbal cannabis, local police know the most likely source of the drugs is a raid on a farm. Herbal cannabis, as distinct from the resin form of the drug, is made of the flowers and stalks of mature female plants. Seizures of herbal cannabis have increased fourfold in the past decade as popularity of this variety has grown. Over the past five years at least four “gardeners” have been murdered in London as a result of raids by other gangs. Over the same period the very nature of the cannabis on the streets of the capital has changed out of all recognition. In 2005, just 15 per cent of cannabis consumed in the UK was grown here, the balance being smuggled in from abroad, particulaly Amsterdam. Today the proportion of domestically farmed product had inreased to more than 90 per cent. That figure continues to rise.
This dramatic shift is due almost entirely to the arrival in the UK of organised gangs from Vietnam, who rapidly achieved near-total domination of Britain's marijuana business. The gangs employed a high level of expertise and operated a tried and trusted business model capable of generating vast profits in a short space of time.
The know-how and methodology were imported direct from Vancouver, Canada, where, in the mid-Nineties, Vietnamese gangs took over the cannabis trade previously being run by the Hells Angels. Instead of setting up rural plantations as the biker gangs had done, the Vietnamese focused on turning networks of rented houses in busy residential areas into clandestine grow-ops.
The operations were staggered so that a new crop was ready for harvesting every few weeks. If one house in the network were to be raided, profits from the others would more than cover the loss and it was a simple matter to establish a new farm in a new home. Soon the extended criminal families involved in the trade set their sights on horizons new and identical grow-ops appeared in Australia, Sweden and the UK.
By 2005 the factories were everywhere. In September that year police in Newham shut down 14 of them on a single day and judges at courts south of the river began to complain that they were struggling to tell cases apart as there were so many to deal with.
The gangs began to move out of the capital into suburban areas where police were less familiar with the warning signs, but in recent years they have focused on areas with large numbers of rental properties and transient populations where neighbours are less likely to take an interest in what is going on around them. Those living nearby are stunned when they find out what has gone on under their noses. In 2007, the Met shut 378 factories. Two years later that figure had climbed to 692. Since last April, the Met has already shut down 253 factories.
Many of these latest finds are being run by British gangs, eager to cash in on the seemingly insatiable demand for the crop. In February this year police seized a parcel addressed to a flat in Wanstead which had been found to contain thousands of pounds worth of cocaine. When the property was raided, police found it had been turned into a cannabis factory, with 22-year-old Jerome Smith hiding in the loft space.
Similarly, 45-year-old Thomas Thomas, currently serving 16 years for his part in the £40 million Graff jewellery robbery, had converted his own home into a cannabis factory. Police found dozens of cannabis plants growing under heat lamps in an upstairs bedroom of the three-bedroom house.
Like the Coes, many gangs are setting up in industrial buildings and scaling back some of their domestic operations in order to help them go unnoticed. In the past gangs would try to use every inch of space in a rented house for cultivation, but not now. “They're getting cleverer,” says Lam — not her real name — who works as a translator and has assisted in dozens of court cases involving gangs. “They won't put any plants in the living room, they'll leave the curtains slightly open and have a television on inside. One even had a Christmas tree. It's all about giving out the impression that this is just a normal family home, that nothing untoward is going on inside.”
With landlords wary of Vietnamese clients inquiring about large, isolated properties, many gangs welcome the involvement of British criminals in order to help them obtain suitable premises. Cases involving multiple nationalities are already appearing in courts and police expect this trend to continue. It also seems certain that the violence associated with the trade is set to grow.
Reader views (20)
Left like it is, the situation is only going to get worse. Legalization is the only answer. Let everyone grow it, and sell it, and buy it, if they want to. Like it was before drugs were illegal. Or we could escalate the drug war and make the whole world look like Mexico with close to 30000 bodies to bury and no end in sight to a war that can't be won.
- Paul Pot, Brisbane Australia, 21/09/2010 06:36
Report abuse
How do the gangs get in so easy lets just round them up
and through them out
- Richard, Rayleigh, 07/09/2010 10:05
Report abuse
When will we learn that prohibition is these gangs' best friend?
- Marco Marboni, Kettering, UK, 06/09/2010 17:08
Report abuse
Decriminalize the use of cannabis, problem solved.But the authorities wont,so you just gona suffer the consequences unfortunately. I know many descent working people of all classes who rather than go to the pub for a few beers,would come home and have a few spiffs,and i know many who have been criminalized for doing just that. It could all be so different,if only we had real people as politicians as opposed to spin and image clones.
- Kev, London-UK, 06/09/2010 16:43
Report abuse
His case proves drugs are bad for the health.
- gresham, marbella spain, 06/09/2010 14:53
Report abuse
Duncan in Kent -
Most smokers of Britain are now doing more to curtail the grip of organised crime than you or police enforcement agencies have ever contemplated, by growing their own, this eliminates the only danger of violence a marijuana user could ever face.
That of engaging with the scumbag degenerate inarticulate ‘Dem Dem Dem Mans’ dealers, that sell unripened and contaminated products usually with a blade in their pocket.
With all our collective ambition we can do more to dent the criminal gangs involved in the movement of these precious and beautiful flowers, this will have a far reaching effect far more so than that of our policing to date.
While you quite insanely state the consumption and use of such flowers as 'unacceptable' even though it has been entwined as part of mankind’s history with no negativity until the relatively recent criminalisation in the middle of last century.
Considering the history of our 'acceptable' government approved drugs (see Glaxo story today and any other dating back to the pharmaceutical industries beginnings) causing such serious deadly consequences and side-effects it makes one wonder just how backward can a nation be, that a flower that can feed, clothe and propel both our vehicles and world economy, should be met with such criminally stupid negativity.
- Ellis Déity, club, 06/09/2010 14:39
Report abuse
The answer to the drugs problem is very simple will the idots please stop taking them it is the social use of drugs not the addicts that fuel this trade.
The view thats its OK to break this law as it doesn't matter is folly as it's plain to see. In buying drugs you are fueling the rise of gangs and organised crime.
Just so you can smoke a bit of weed? you find that acceptable? Stop buying the drugs and the problem will disappear as quickly as it started.
Its you the socail user that are causing the problem take responsibility for what you have done and correct it. It is not acceptable that you use drugs. It is not a victimless crime. Grow up smell the coffee move on. Most people who used them at 20 do not use them at 40 so clearly it is just a peer pressure thing.
It is not hip cool trendy or what ever the current word is for it to use drugs it makes you an inconsiderate uncaring membe of society who doesnt care a jot for the consequences you cause by buying the drugs. YO are selfish uncaring and bare soem responsibility for every drug related crime taht opccurs because you provide the backdrop for such things to happen.
- Duncan, Kent, 06/09/2010 13:38
Report abuse
George London to answear your question why we are here ?
1- our country had war n very slow denverlop (people earn 1 pound 1 day)they just try to get better live.
2- not all vietnamese growing weed, some of us open nails shop n paying tax like u GEORGE
3- i know alot of them doesn't have documents or any id - so they work in Building side beacuse grow weed is to BIG risk for them , the price people my country pay is to hight to come here,, some people just want to earn 30 a day live normal life.
why are so much crime now?????
the answear is simple CREDIT crunch - it doesn't matter what colour you are ?? u need money to live, YAMAICA gang grow too,, inidan gang grow too.
the best solution now is star paying TAX --so the gorverment can used that money to build more hospital build more school, sport central for young people.Opposite the goverment spend huge among of money to build prison , to employ more police buy more expensive technologi to catch people,.
you stop people smoke people find the way to buy,buy highter price-some how u have to buy it,WAR beetwen Drugs n Police never END,Vietnamese people grow because English n all other nation demand weeds weekly.legal smoke in coffee shop then weed go very cheap,people won't grow because not worth any more.
why gorverment got involve with Cigaret n Alcohor but no to weed ??? let face the new generation live free as long as they work pay tax,how many peole die of smoke? how many die of alcohor n cigarets a year??
- tuan, brighton, 06/09/2010 06:09
Report abuse
If some EU countries have excessive prison space, while others are struggling with the need to build more prisons, the answer is surely obvious; a Pan-Eurpean prisoner-transfer agreement with the exporting-state paying the receiving state some fee to utilise the idle space. Cheaper than building new prisons and extra revenue for vacant space on the flipside.
- Kevin Lynch, Dublin, 03/09/2010 10:04
Report abuse
Well if any BRITS want to move....there's plenty of room in Vietnam....lol
- Richard Merrell, Wentworth Falls, NSW Australia, 03/09/2010 05:35
Report abuse
It was shown in the USA in the early part of the last century that prohibition can never work. I'm nearly 60 years old and even when I was a teenager most people at least tried Marijuana. Nothing has changed since.
It's about time the politicians woke up to reality and legalised at least the non dangerous drugs such as Cannabis. They could raise tax revenues and reduce crime by a massive amount at a stroke.
- Derek_S, St Ives, UK, 03/09/2010 04:08
Report abuse
OK, legalise and legislate - so, how would Cannabis be marketed? Would users be able to buy ready-mades?
Packets of 10 or 20? Would there be different levels of quality like Luxury-length and Coffin-nails? Tipped or untipped? Would advertising be allowed? I suggest the best way would be to sell Cannabis in blocks like flavour cubes to preserve the 'ritual' of skinning-up, which strikes me as an important part of the whole process of getting stoned. "Twenty Joints, please, and a Guardian."
TT
- TinyTim, Like, Somewhere else, man., 02/09/2010 23:56
Report abuse
Sigh, as other have said, but it needs repeating over and over until the message gets through:
Prohibition causes this crime, not cannabis, not people getting stoned, it's the law and those who support it.
Legalise cannabis, control the trade, regulate the sales and the people doing the selling then problem solved. If you don't legalise it, then expect more of this insanity.
- Derek Williams, Norwich UK, 02/09/2010 19:42
Report abuse
could somebody tell me when vietnam joined the EU, why are these people even in the country
- George, London, 02/09/2010 19:12
Report abuse
why cant the UK government just deport these people , they are not wanted or needed I lived in HK when the Vietnamese came by boat they were called "I.Is" = illegal immigrants the north vietnamese fought against the south vietnamese in the camps barbed wire wouldnt keep them apart or in the camps. Now you see the problems they make !
- Jonathan, France Nice, 02/09/2010 17:28
Report abuse
as has already been stated. the reason for violent crime around cannabis is prohibition itself. It is no different to alcohol prohibition at the turn of the last century in america.
Cannabis is scientifically less dangerous than alcohol and tobacco. yet the 10 million or so recreational cannabis smokers are demonised by the state and daily mail readers. Users who wish not to exposed crime face 14yrs imprisonment for cultivation. yet the black market in cannabis is allowed to go on un managed.
A quick look out of my bedroom window and 3 of my neighors have weed in thier gardens. All middle classed families, working and paying tax whose only crime is to enjoy a spliff
shame on you .gov.uk
Legalise, tax and watch us climb out of economic doom and gloom on a wave of THC
Oh did I mention cannabis also helps 10's of thousands of terminally ill and not so ill citizens. Glaxo don't like that one jot.
- arnie wellah, beckenham, kent, 02/09/2010 14:52
Report abuse
When will we learn that this is a war we can't win head on? Legalise, tax and control. Break the link with organised crime and put acres of low-grade land into cultivation (it's called weed because it grows anywhere).
- Lex, London, whingers' capital of Europe, 02/09/2010 14:29
Report abuse
hollands closing prisons because it cant fill them...we are building more prisons becuase we are running out of space to put convicts...
holland has tolerant drug laws
We have draconian drug laws.
- daveb, london, 02/09/2010 14:20
Report abuse
The violence associated with the gangs is the one single thing that can never be avoided when there is such a high demand for a non legislated product such as marijuana.
The legislation now as it stands makes it a criminal offence to obtain, cultivate and consume what is in essence a flower, that freely has grown and been part of man's known history dating back well over 10,000 years(yet not 1 recorded death by the consumption of).
The plants fibres have been a vital part for textile production and fibre, oils and other can be used as food and medicines, also it can eliminate the destruction of our planets dwindling rainforests by being a far more efficient source for paper.
Hemp is, by far, Earth’s premier, renewable natural resource.
In fact it's uses number in the 1,000's and this link provides some examples of what products are entirely made from hemp and being sold freely today.
It's a point worthy of note that Henry Ford recognised that coal, oil, natural gases et cetera should have been replaced by biomass such as cornstalks, cannabis, waste paper and the like.
The world's first biological car, 1941
It is in the interests of the pharmaceutical, paper and oil industry's interests to maintain hemps illegal status, it could quite literally feed the world and make even the poorest ofnations self sustainable...
That's not in the interests of those that hold the power
- Ellis Déity, club, 02/09/2010 14:08
Report abuse
Legalise, regulate & tax. There you go, easy solution. All the above problems are caused by weed being illegal. Also, demand is way too high for the police to ever even get anywhere near stopping/denting supply.
This country is skint & needs some extra revenue. Surely legalising weed will bring in a huge chunk of tax, & help towards clearing this countries debts.
This country tollerates drink & the problems this causes, so why the weed cannot be legalised, I'll never know.
- Dom, London, United Dustbin of Europe, 02/09/2010 13:18
Report abuse
