Roman Le was jailed for six years and two months by a court in the UK. Photo courtesy of the National Crime Agency.

BIRMINGHAM - A Vietnamese man who ran an organised crime group in the UK while posing as a property developer to run a multi-million pound network of cannabis factories staffed by illegal migrants has been jailed.

Roman Le, 38, was sentenced to six years and two months in prison following an investigation by Britain’s National Crime Agency.

Le headed a gang who operated at least eight farms in residential and commercial properties across the Midlands, North West and north Lincolnshire, as well as a storage facility housing both equipment and harvested cannabis.

Le sourced the properties by buying or renting them, in some cases putting up scaffolding around the buildings to make it look like building work was taking place.

Surveillance officers observed Le visiting one of the sites in his luxury Bentley Continental car.

Inside that building, a disused nightclub, officers found more than 1,500 plants worth more than VNĐ34 billion (US$1.3 million), spread over three floors.

Le was arrested at his home, an apartment in Essex Street, Birmingham, that he shared with his girlfriend, on 4 November 2020.

Birmingham Crown Court was told that many of the farms were staffed by Vietnamese or Albanian illegal migrants, some of whom were likely being exploited because of their immigration status.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer Paul Boniface said: “The cannabis factories operated by Roman Le’s gang produced drugs worth millions, often staffed by migrants who had arrived here illegally and were being forced to work to pay off their debt to people smugglers.

“He claimed to be a legitimate businessman, but in reality, he was lining his own pockets off the back of the exploitation of others less fortunate than him. 

“Working with policing partners, we were able to target and dismantle this organised criminal operation, and those involved are now rightfully behind bars.

“Gangs like this are helping fuel an industry that sees people transported into the UK in life-threatening ways in boats or lorries, which is why taking action against them is so important for the NCA.” 

Two other members of the criminal enterprise, who were not Vietnamese, also received prison sentences. VNS