‘Gardeners’ in sophisticated Louth cannabis growhouse jailed for three-and-a-half years
Two men who worked as ‘gardeners’ in a cannabis growhouse in Drogheda have been jailed for three-and-a-half years.
A unit in Greenhills Industrial Village was described as an extensive and highly organised cultivation operation.
A sentence hearing at Dundalk Circuit Court was told that from the outside the premises appeared vacant and derelict. Inside gardaí found more than 1,000 cannabis plants worth in excess of €830,000.
The two defendants, Dung Van Phan (46) and Tuyen Van Dang (46) were living there in makeshift accommodation, working at night and sleeping during the day. Their job was watering the plants.
The men, neither of whom have previous convictions, and had the assistance of Vietnamese interpreters, pleaded guilty to a cultivation charge. They have been in custody since their apprehension.
Gda Seán Blanchfield said that when gardaí entered Unit 8B at 11.10pm on August 5, 2025, they saw two men run out through an emergency exit. As there were unregulated electrical wires throughout, officers opted not to pursue them.
The defendants were later spotted by another garda at a pedestrian crossing, and arrested after midnight. There was a smell of cannabis from them.
Gda Blanchfield continued that 1,038 plants valued €830,400 were seized.
Dung Van Phan, married with two children, told investigators that he was there about a week under duress.
Tuyen Van Dang, married with three children, said that a gang brought him to Ireland where he had been for around a month. He was with his co-accused three or four days, watering the plants.
He too claimed that he had been forced and his family threatened.
However, gardaí found insufficient evidence to support these claims of trafficking, as both men had regular video contact with their families, and spoke together about the workings of the growhouse.
Judge Dara Hayes said that this was a sophisticated operation with heating, lighting and ventillation.
Each of the accused played a role as what is colloquially known as a gardener. They were not the ultimate beneficiaries of this criminal enterprise.
The defendants were sentenced to four years imprisonment, the final six months suspended, and backdated to August 7 last when they were charged.