Cannabis factories run from Palfrey!

News Eight face trial in January and one in August after police uncovered an alleged ring of cannabis factories


Jun 2 2010 by Steve Bradley, Birmingham Mail

Comments (3)Recommend (3) EIGHT men, including the son of a Walsall councillor, will go on trial in January after police allegedly uncovered a ring of cannabis factories.



Ali Hayder Munir, aged 29, of Thorpe Road, Caldmore, Walsall, whose father is Palfrey ward Conservative councillor Mohammad Munir, pleaded not guilty at Wolverhampton Crown Court to two counts of conspiracy to produce cannabis.



Alongside him in the dock was Shazad Zulnorain Ali, aged 29, of Brook House Road, Chuckery, Walsall, who pleaded not guilty to the same charges, which relate to police swoops in March, including a raid on a house in Roman Road, Little Aston’s swanky “Millionaires’ Row”.



Munir and Ali were granted conditional bail.



Also facing trial on January 4 are Vietnamese nationals Tien Dune Dinh, 39, Le Manh Hung, 21, Hoang Long, 20, Trung Van Pham, 35, Hung Phi Nguyen, 20, all of no fixed address, who each pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to produce cannabis. Tam Thai Pham, 42, also of no fixed address, will also face a trial on the same date having pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce cannabis. Tung Hoang, 36, of no fixed address, pleaded not guilty to a charge of producing cannabis and will face a separate trial starting on August 12.



Daniel Shemmell, 24, of Redhouse Street, Walsall, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to produce cannabis and will be sentenced at the end of the New Year trial, which could last eight weeks. Judge Martin Walsh granted him unconditional bail.



Mohammed Ikram, 34, of Delves Road, Walsall, and Asim Ali, 34, of Brook House Road, Chuckery, Walsall, were charged with production of a Class B drug and conspiracy to produce the drug, and will return to court on July 12, to enter a plea. They were granted unconditional bail.



Son Van Nguyen, 37, Linh Aka Nguyen, 48, Tung Le Nguyen, 31, all of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to production of cannabis and will be sentenced on June 23. Huang Hoang, 36, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce cannabis, and to another count arising from the Coventry area, of producing cannabis, and faces sentencing on June 23.



The case against Hoai Thi Tran, 26, of no fixed address, was adjourned until July 12.



All the Vietnamese people were remanded in custody