Man Jailed In Connection With Major Cannabis Cultivation Operation

A 44-year-old man has been sentenced to a total of 37 years for a range of offences from cultivating cannabis to assisting illegal immigration.

At Laganside Crown Court, Luong Bui was sentenced to a total of 15 years and will serve 7 ½ years in prison and 7 ½ years on licence. 12 years imprisonment for cultivating cannabis, 6 years imprisonment for assisting illegal immigration (to run consecutively), 4 years imprisonment for abstracting electricity (to run consecutively) and 3 years imprisonment for perverting the course of justice (to run concurrently).

The sentencing follows a police investigation into the largescale cultivation of cannabis when a number of premises were searched in the Comber, south Belfast, Lisburn and Coalisland areas.

Detective Inspector Kelly said: "The Police Service of Northern Ireland is committed to both preventing drugs from ending up in local communities and to pursuing those intent on destroying lives through the supply of illicit drugs.

"Drug dealers seek to make profit at the expense of causing harm and loss; they don't care about the damage they cause, preying on the most vulnerable members in our communities.

"Under Operation Dealbreaker we are determined to disrupt their activity and anyone involved in the drugs trade, or anyone tempted to become involved, should be under no illusion – we will seek to identify them, arrest them and place them before the courts.

"I would appeal to anyone with information regarding the supply of illegal drugs to contact police on the non-emergency number 101."

Alternatively, information can be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.