Cannabis cultivation won't be tolerated-sheriff

Jail sentences for three Chinese
cannabis farmers at West Murkle

THREE Chinese members of a drug gang have been jailed for more than 10 years in total, for their part in an operation which involved illegal cannabis cultivation at the former US navy base at West Murkle.
Illegal immigrants, Ah Bing Zheug, Wan Yue Lin and Bo Chen, made their initial appearance at Wick Sheriff Court, but the case was heard at Inverness Sheriff Court where sentence was passed yesterday.
The trio were caught with almost £330,000 of cannabis after an extensive police surveillance operation. The base was owned by a local farmer and was leased to a Chinese individual for £23,000- a-year.
Area fiscal, Andrew Laing, told the court that the farmer became suspicious, after he noticed silver paper had been put over the windows. This sparked a lengthy surveillance which took police across Scotland into England tracking the movement of the drugs.
Mr Laing said that Wan Yue Lin was seen on numerous occasions, coming and going from the base to a flat in London with “large beige Burberry-style suitcases” for more than a year. In February this year, Wan Yue Lin was seen leaving the base in a vehicle with suitcases and was met by his co-accused, Bo Chen at 18 Owen Place, Wick. They were then seen putting two suitcases in the boot of a car which was tracked by police to Perth.
The vehicle was later stopped and a search revealed 29.5g of cannabis with a street value of £73,750. A month later, police raided the cannabis farm. Officers found 570 cannabis plants with a potential value of between £85,000 and £256,000.
Wan Yue Lin,(33) admitted being concerned the supply of cannabis, between April 4, 2010, at the former Forss base, and train stations at Thurso, Inverness and Dunkeld, and at 18 Owen Place, Wick, and 4 Desmond Street, London. His solicitor, Willie Young, said that the accused had lived in poverty in China and had come to the UK for “a better way of life”.
Bo Chen (26) admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis on February 20 and 21 this year, at Wick. The third accused Ah Bing Zheng (31) admitted producing the drug at the base between March 1-29 this year. He was sentenced along with Bo Chen, to three years in prison. Wan Yue Ling was jailed for four-and-a-half years. All three will be automatically deported after they complete their sentences.
Sheriff Margaret Neilson said; “A message needs to be sent out that this sort of organised criminal behaviour will not be tolerated in the Highlands.”