BRITISH crooks appear to be working with Vietnamese organised criminals to set up sophisticted cannabis factories, it has emerged.

Suu Vo, 37, who arrived illegally into the country last summer, was sentenced to nine months in prison for his part in growing 300 cannabis plants in a converted house.

It is the latest prosecution in a series of discoveries by police of high tech factories in houses and industrial units across south Essex believed to be run by Vietnamese organised crime gangs.

However, Basildon Crown Court heard Vo was low down the scale in the crime and was a “gardener” living in the property, which was rented from the owner by a “white English woman”, to tend the plants.

The court heard the property in Gainsborough Avenue, Tilbury, was owned by Erkan Sahin, who was not a suspect in the crime, and rented out by his daughter.

A witness statement from the Erkan’s handed to the judge said a white English woman who called her self Jacqueline Collier had rented the property from them.

She was a white English woman of 5ft 3inch and big build, according to the Erkans. But police have been unable to trace her.

Six thousand pounds of damage was caused to the home through electricity theft and internal changes.

Vo was arrested at the property in October. Police found three of four bedrooms used to grow plants with for bin bags full of harvested crop in the fourth.

Judge Christopher Mitchell said: “You entered this country as an illegal immigrant.

“You were put to work as a gardener looking after the cannabis plants in this very sophisticated system.”

Vo will be deported after his release and an order was made to destroy all the drugs and equipment.