CANNABIS farmers transformed a large detached house in the west end of Greenock into a giant drug factory – complete with more than 300 illegal plants.

Two Vietnamese growers – who are today facing jail over the illicit venture – had secretly cultivated a crop worth up to £130,000 before their elaborate operation was uncovered by chance.

The man and woman – aged 61 and 57 respectively – were ‘startled’ when police swooped on the Finnart Street property, because they initially couldn’t hear anything above the drone of their propagating equipment.

Greenock Sheriff Court heard how offenders Bang Van Hoang and Ngo Thi Loan were amongst the plethora of plants and tending to them as officers watched them before moving in and making arrests.

The pair were only found out because a landlord, who wanted to carry out an eviction and change locks over non-payment of rent, stumbled upon the farm during a visit to the house.

Procurator fiscal depute Pamela Brady said: “The landlord and the locksmith made their way upstairs and heard voices on the upper level.

“Both saw equipment which looked like it would be being used for the cultivation of cannabis. 
“They made their way back downstairs and phoned the police.”

The court heard how Van Hoang and Thi Loan had created the 320-plant indoor farm at 61 Finnart Street on the first floor of the property and also within the attic space.

An array of sophisticated electrical equipment – including heat lamps, fans, filters and flumes – was used to help produce enough cannabis to make more than 4,300 individual £30 street deals.

Internal doors and windows had also been sealed-up in a bid to stop the any pungent aromas from the cultivation escaping outside, the attic had been sectioned off for separate stages of the growing operation and an area was set aside for drying harvested cannabis.

Prosecutor Mrs Brady said: “Police arrived and saw that the main stairwell had a large curtain covering the top of the stairs.

“They detected heat coming from behind the curtain and also heard machinery in use.

“Various doors to rooms were taped over in order to seal them. A door was opened and the officers saw a large number of plants and heat lamps, with the window in the room sealed. Plants elsewhere were in the process of being dried. The loft was divided into three spaces. There were several large flumes carrying air into a large filter in the corner of the room.

“A large number of wires and electrical boxes fed into the loft space.”

Mrs Brady added: “Police became aware of a male and female, who were unaware of the officers’ presence due to the noise emanating from the machinery.

“The two accused were seen in amongst the plants and tending to them. Both were startled to see the police.”

The court was told that the value of each plant was between £200 and £400 – giving a total upper street cost of the haul of £128,000. Latex gloves found at the house contained the DNA of both accused. Van Hoang and Thi Loan pleaded guilty on indictment through lawyer David Tod and another solicitor to producing cannabis at the house on December 9 last year.

Their not guilty plea to rigging an electricity meter was accepted by the Crown.

Sheriff Iain Fleming deferred sentence on Van Hoang and Thi Loan for background reports.
The pair are due back at court at a future date.