Illegal immigrant jailed over £120,000 Scots drug ring after arriving at property during police search
- Rory Cassidy
- May 19
- 2 min read
An illegal immigrant has been jailed over a £120,000 Scots drug ring - after returning to his property while police were raiding it.
Vietnamese national Hong Van Nguyen was caught by police running a cannabis farm at a flat in Paisley, Renfrewshire.
There were three growing rooms in the flat - two in the rooms of the flat and one in the loft.
Believing there was a weed farm in the property which posed a fire risk, officers forced entry to the empty flat.
And while officers were inside, Hguyen walked up the path to the property with the keys to the flat in his pocket.
The 51-year-old, who is in Scotland illegally, has now been jailed for 16 months over his crimes.
As well as producing the class B drug, he also bypassed the electricity meter at the property in question.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard the father-of-two wants to return to VIetnam after his sentence.
But his lawyer said he has not yet been contacted by Home Office officials about deportation.
The details emerged yesterday, Monday, May 18, 2026, when Nguyen appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court to be sentenced.
He had earlier pleaded guilty over a cannabis farm at a property in the town's Montgomery Road.
The court heard there were 206 cannabis plants, which could yield £123,600 once harvested.
He was caught by officers at the property on October 30, 2025.
Defence solicitor Stephen Graham said: "He is here illegally and has been convicted of a crime.
"It doesn't seem that there's any update from the Home Office at this point.
"The Home Office tend to make contact after sentence is imposed, as far as I'm aware."
He said Nguyen had spoken of being trafficked but that he recognised his position "falls short of a special defence of coercion".
He added: "He has children aged 21 and 22 and it is his intention to return to Vietnam on conclusion of any sentence imposed.
"He found himself in the position where he was carrying out these acts.
"He doesn't wish to spend any further time in the country."
Sheriff Andrew Berry said: "Your involvement is a significant one and one without which this enterprise could not take place.
"There was some suggestion you were trafficked [into the country] although it's clear from the facts [narrated in court] that you had a degree of being able to come and go.
"You will be deported at some point, when the custodial sentence is concluded."
He jailed Nguyen for 16 months, reduced from 20 months as he admitted his guilt.
The sentence was backdated to October last year, when Nguyen was first remanded in custody.
The court heard previously that officers looked out of the window while searching the property - and saw Nguyen walking up the path leading to the flat.
He had house keys and they tried to speak to him, but he ran off and was detained nearby.
As well as plants, officers discovered fans, lights and thermostats, heat lamps and a water tank.
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