Brothers Hieu Dinh Vu and Dinh Tung Vu – and the latter’s wife sentenced Friday
Operation was capable of yielding up to $2million worth of cannabis every year
Hieu’s barrister said client couldn’t refuse brother and didn’t understand ‘weed’
A Vietnamese national jailed over one of the biggest cannabis grow houses ever found in Australia claims he was tricked into helping the operation and didn’t understand the term ‘weed’. Max Margan reported on DailyMail.
Brothers Hieu Dinh Vu, 26, and Dinh Tung Vu, 27, as well as the latter’s wife Thi Phuong Lien Tran, 30, were arrested in May 2015 during dramatic police raids on their Alice River home in Townsville’s west.
The 26-year-old’s barrister said his client was only involved in the operation – capable of yielding $2million worth of cannabis each year – because he ‘couldn’t refuse’ his brother.
‘It wasn’t until far later he became aware of the purpose of the Ring Road property or even the meaning of the word ”weed”,’ Harlis Kirimof said, the Townsville Bulletin reported.
A Vietnamese national jailed over one of the biggest cannabis grow houses ever found in Australia claims he was tricked into helping the operation and didn’t understand the term ‘weed’. Pictured are some of the plants police seized in May, 2015
‘While he may have assisted in the setting up of the grow house, he never initiated anything.’
The trio were jailed on Friday, with Judge Gregory Lynham finding Dinh Tung Vu was the chief offender.
Judge Lynham said the sophistication of the operation suggested there was ‘someone further up the chain who’s never going to be identified’.
Dinh Tung Vu was jailed for five years, his wife for three-and-a-half years and his brother for three.
The trio were arrested in May 2015 during dramatic police raids on their Alice River home in Townsville’s west