Failed asylum seeker was 'cannabis gardener'

10:59pm Monday 12th May 2008

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A FAILED asylum seeker has admitting running East Lancashire's largest cannabis factory at a former pub.

Wei Lin, 27, of no fixed address, was described in court as the 'gardener' for the 2,000-plant farm at the Derby Arms, Scotland Road, Nelson.

After the case, a police boss said he believed Lin could be part of a wider criminal network.

And the officer revealed that police feared city criminals were using East Lancashire to house drugs farms because the area's cheaper properties meant larger profit margins.

Burnley Crown Court was told that Lin was arrested at the end of January after officers discovered the farm at the Derby Arms.

Police said Lin was eating his breakfast at the property when officers launched their raid at 9.30am.

Complex lighting and ventilation systems had been set up in order to grow the class C drug, police said.

At the time officers said the haul had a street value of over £200,000.

Lin, of no fixed address, yesterday pleaded guilty to cultivating 2,000 cannabis plants between October 1, 2007 and January 29, 2008.

The previous biggest reported cannabis factory in East Lancashire was a 1,500-plant farm found at the Merrie England pub, Great Harwood.

Allegations of abstracting electricity between the same dates and producing cannabis, which the defendant denied, were both left to lie on the file.

Lin, who entered his pleas with the aid of a Mandarin-speaking interpreter, was described by prosecutor Roger Baldwin as the gardener in the operation.

He said the defendant could be facing deportation.

But Lin's barrister Robert Elias told the court the Chinese authorities were not keen on criminals being returned and so he might not.

Lin who has now been in custody 103 days, was further remanded until June 9 for a pre-sentence report.

Judge Andrew Woolman warned him: "You must expect a custodial sentence, but the judge will decide how long that shall be when he or she has seen the probation report."

After the case Detective Inspector Sion Hall said investigations were ongoing into whether Lin was part of a wider criminal enterprise, with links beyond East Lancashire.

He said: "It is reasonable to assume that he has not built such a big farm on his own and we believe this could be part of a wider network. This was a fairly substantial haul."

Following unconnected investigations there have been a number of large cannabis factories uncovered in East Lancashire in recent months.

Mr Hall added: "Property in East Lancashire is a lot cheaper than in the likes of Manchester so if you rent a house in Nelson, Burnley, or Colne, then your profit margins are greater and also, you would assume, you would be removed from the main players.

"We do think that this is why they are moving to East Lancashire and we would ask people with any information about such activities to get in touch with us.

"We see this a part of the organised crime network because they are quite lucrative businesses for those involved."

Residents who have noticed suspicious activity in their neighbourhood are being asked to contact Pennine police on 01282 425001