A WOMAN who was part of a criminal gang which ran three cannabis factories has been ordered to pay back £280,000.

Vietnamese national Phu Ha Bui, of Ipswich Road, Colchester, has been forced to hand over her assets after a lengthy investigation by Suffolk Police and the Serious Organised Crime Agency.

Bui was jailed for four years after being convicted at Ipswich Crown Court, in February 2007, of making money from crime, although a second charge of conspiracy to cultivate cannabis was left to lie on file.

The conviction was in connection with raids on a criminal gang which ran three drugs factories in Clarkson Street, London Road and Norwich Road in Ipswich.

It was thought the 30-year-old would not have to pay back thousands of pounds because an application under the Proceeds of Crime Act was dismissed by a judge.

Andy Gould, from Suffolk Police’s financial investigation unit, said: “This came from an execution of a number of search warrants, following which she was convicted for money laundering.

“She was convicted at Ipswich Crown Court in July 2007, but the case did not proceed to confiscation because there was a time limit on the proceedings.

“We weren’t able to deal with it under Proceeds of Crime Act because the offending spanned a time before the act came in to force. But rather than let her escape with her ill-gotten gains, we referred it to the Serious Organised Crime Agency’s civil recovery team.”

After a three-year legal battle, the High Court granted a civil recovery order for all Bui’s assets – £281,000.

Mr Gould added: “A proportion of this money will be reinvested by Suffolk Police in the continued fight against criminal gangs.”