Chinese gangsters from one of the country’s southern provinces controlled one of the largest cannabis farms ever discovered in Northern Ireland, police believe.
The farm, which delivered herbal cannabis with a street value of close to £2,5m in its year of operation, was discovered on land owned by prominent Co Down farmer Clive Weir.
Weir, a father-of-six from Hillsborough, was sentenced this week to three years, with half to be served behind bars.
The 56-year-old allowed the huge barn on his property to be used by the organised crime gang and bought £5,000 worth of diesel a week to power the generator. He claimed to have been paid just over £40,000 but may have earned as much as £100,000.
Gangsters originating out of the Chinese province of Fujian are believed to be the masterminds behind the cannabis farm, Detective Inspector Mo Kelly, the senior investigating officer who managed the investigation, told The Irish News.
DI Kelly revealed the PSNI has made 200 arrests of individuals linked to gangs with links to Fujian in recent years, most linked to the trade in herbal cannabis, though the majority not in connection with farms.
Gangs from the same province have spread out across the globe, with reports of moving into illegal herbal cannabis markets in Europe and south America.
Police investigating the Weir grow operation are not sure how the farmer, a member of the local Free Presbyterian Church, managed to link up with the crime group, DI Kelly said.
However, it is not the only cannabis farm, or factory, in the north that Fujian criminals are understood to have reaped profits from. Links between a gang originally from the province have been established with a large operation discovered in Ballymena last year.
DI Kelly’s organised crime unit has been called in to investigate several major farms discovered recently, including in Newry and on the Limestone Road in north Belfast in June.
It is not only criminals originally from the Chinese province involved in the production of the cannabis in the north. Those originally from other parts of the world, and locals, are also involved in the business.
While the Weir farm was “one of the biggest” police have come across, the north Belfast one was a potentially “really massive grow” but was only in the middle of being fully developed, said the senior detective.
The operation that led to the raid on the Weir farm in early 2023, began with local intelligence suggesting there was a grow operation in the Lisburn area, but it was not known the exact location.
After further investigation, the farm on The New Road near Royal Hillsborough was identified as a likely location.
On February 3 2023, police raided the property. The farm was discovered in the barn situated just yards from the front door of Weir’s home.
Two Vietnamese nationals were discovered inside the barn. The growers had been living in a caravan.
Some gardeners at cannabis farms or factories in England were found to be victims of human trafficking, or modern day slavery.
However, following an investigation, the police, and other agencies, concluded the pair were not victims and they were later each sentenced to a year in jail. It is believed they have completed their sentence and may be facing deportation.
DI Kelly said use was made not just of the ground but that pallets were suspended from the ceiling to grow more plants. It took four days to dismantle and clear the barn.
In total, 500 plants and 200 seedlings were discovered.
Furthermore, 50 kilograms of cut and dried herb worth approximately £750,000 was ready to go.
Testimony from the gardeners placed the total street worth of the cannabis being shipped out of the farm each month at £200,000. It is believed it was operating on a rolling basis, with harvests taking eight weeks, for a year.
While there were two gardeners on the day of the raid, Weir was not on site. Police later discovered he was in Dubai, where one of his daughters lived.
Most of the cannabis grown in what is believed to be an increasing number of local farms and factories is believed to be destined for the Irish market, mostly the north but also the south.
The north is a very lucrative market, said DI Kelly.
The inspector added that help from the public is needed to identify farms and factories. “If you see something, say something,” she said.
