Drug gang set up £250,000 cannabis farm in former Highland naval base

Jiajie He and three others set up the cannabis factory at a former American naval communications base in Thurso, Caithness.

A member of a cannabis gang that set up a £250,000 drug farm in the Highlands has been jailed.

Jiajie He and three others set up the cannabis factory at a former American naval communications base in Thurso, Caithness.

The 30-year-old was found guilty in October of being concerned in the supply of the class-B drug and was jailed for two and a half years at Perth Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

Three other men have already been jailed for a combined ten and a half years for their part in the drugs conspiracy.

Wan Yue Lin, 44, of New Cross, London, and Bo Chen, 26, of Kilbirnie, Ayrshire pled guilty in July to being concerned in the supply of cannabis, while Ah Bing Zheng, 32, of no fixed abode, was identified as the gardener at the cannabis factory.

He admitted being involved in the production of the drug.

Police estimated the factory was worth £250,000 while the gang members operated across the UK, distributing cannabis across the country.

The court heard He was caught on Saturday, February 19 this year with three large suitcases, which he had picked up from other gang members in Wick.

Police arrested him at the Triangle services, in Dunkeld Road, Perth and found the suitcases contained 59kgm of cannabis bud, which had an estimated street value of £73,750

Northern Constabulary and the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) then moved in on the factory in Wick and seized 570 cannabis plants worth between £150 and £450 each.

Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Mole, head of investigations at the SCDEA, said on Wednesday: "The commercial cultivation of cannabis represents a highly profitable business for serious organised crime groups, and is one which they believe is low risk.

"But today's sentencing and the overall outcome of this investigation challenges that perception and sends a very clear message to those involved that there are serious consequences for this type of criminal activity.

"This gang was highly organised and every detail of their illegal enterprise was meticulously planned. Each member had their role to play, but they were equally concerned with maximising profits, regardless of the harms caused by these illegal enterprises and drug misuse.

"As a result of our investigation, we have significantly disrupted the activities of a serious organised crime group. A number of people are behind bars for the part they played in the group, and we have removed the risk to the local community by dismantling an illegal cannabis cultivation."

Detective Chief Inspector Kenny Anderson, of Northern Constabulary, added: "We note the sentence handed out today to Jiajie He. One of the force's strategic priorities is the targeting of serious and organised crime. Large scale cannabis cultivations are inexorably linked to organised crime.

"Northern Constabulary will continue to work closely with other police agencies, including the SCDEA, to detect and disrupt serious and organised crime groups and anyone involved in such activity."

09 November 2011 13:19 GMT