A WOMAN supplied Vietnamese labour to four cannabis factories across Essex in an attempt to grow £2million worth of plants.

Yen Tran has been jailed for her role in the huge operation which spanned the course of a year, with plant “warehouses” in Rayleigh, Wickford, Barking and Clacton in Essex.

The 64-year-old was arrested at her home address after the warehouses were raided by Essex Police last year and this year – meaning Tran and others never saw the cash they wanted to make from the drugs.

Lee Jacobs, 34, of Caro Road, Canvey, was also involved in supply electricity to one of the sites.

One cannabis warehouse was at Unit 12 at the Rawreth Industrial Estate in Rayleigh in November 2019.

Around 1,050 cannabis plants were found, worth £152,000, with two Vietnamese nationals discovered who were tending the plants.

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At the site in Bromfords Farm, Wickford, in July last year, around 850 plants were found worth a total of £714,000, with two Vietnamese nationals, one of which was the same person found in the Rayleigh site.

At the site in Melbourne Road in Clacton, 106 plants were found worth a total of £89,000.

Prosecuting at Basildon Crown Court, Stephen Rose said: “The total involved – in what the prosecution say was a sophisticated cannabis grow over nine months, with expert labour service through Yen Tran - was in excess of £2million.

“We accept that the money hasn’t fallen into the defendants’ hands because of the intervention of the police on those raid occasions.”

Mitigating for Tran, Philip Misner said: “Her daughter has a facial deformity which she wanted to do something about. She is away from her daughter now and is worried about her daughter.”

Mitigation for Jacobs said he had complied with his bail and his partner is expecting a child in September.

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Judge Samantha Cohen said: “You were both involved in different ways in a serious, professional, dedicated conspiracy to grow cannabis in four different sites across Essex.

“The whole conspiracy took place within a year but was thwarted by the police operation.

“Four Vietnamese people were found living in squalid conditions across four sites. I’m satisfied they were willing workers paid wages for cultivating cannabis. Yen Tran, your role was to recruit the labour, ensure workers were paid and supplied appropriate food from Vietnamese supermarkets.

“Without workers and without cannabis plants it’s not possible to produce cannabis. It was a leading role.

“Lee Jacobs, your role was to help set up the Bromfords site by assisting in the electricity installation.”

Tran, of Duckett Street, London, was jailed for three years and eight months while Jacobs was given an 18 month suspended sentence with 200 hours of unpaid work.

They both admitted conspiracy to supply cannabis and produce cannabis.