Letting agents were repeatedly conned by crooks looking for premises which could be used to grow cannabis.
The sting was masterminded by Nirmal and Darryl Saund, who posed as respectable businessmen supposedly operating out of a company called The Cayman Group.
Police said the pair acted “with confidence and professionalism when meeting the many letting agents they managed to hoodwink”.
The Saunds looked for both rental and commercial properties to rent across Northamptonshire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire and Shropshire.
Once they had secured leases, they fitted out the premises with sophisticated hydroponics equipment and employed members of the Vietnamese community to act as live-in growers.
One woman arrested from a semi-detached house in Loughborough admitted being an illegal immigrant who had been “looking after children in London” before being tempted to the midlands by the drugs brothers
Between September 2012 and June last year, when they were arrested, it is estimated they had netted around £35m.
Nirmal Saund, 51, from Walsall, admitted conspiracy to supply drugs, while Darryl, 31, denied being involved but was found guilty after a trial.
At Birmingham Crown Court last week both men, who when booked into police custody claimed to be ‘property developers’, were jailed for ten years and six months, and nine years respectively.
Cuong Pham, 29, from Handsworth, a Vietnamese man hired as a conduit between the Saunds and their cultivation workers, was jailed for six years after also being found guilty of cannabis production.
Det Sgt Jamie Mason from West Midlands Police said: “They based their operation behind what appeared to be a legitimate business.
“They cloned several alter egos and invented fictitious businesses which they registered at Companies House to reinforce their appearance as genuine business clients.
“We estimate their drugs network had an annual yield valued at around £20m: it’s a fortune they splashed on luxury cars, expensive homes and a high-end lifestyle. This lifestyle was, unsurprisingly, not reflected in their declared income to the Inland Revenue.
“It’s satisfying to have brought these men to justice and their living conditions over the next few years is going to be very different from that they’ve become accustomed to.”
There will be a Proceeds of Crime Act application.
Where were the mid term visits?
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
I had one of these a few years ago.
Did the quarterly inspection and all was well, tenant was in, children were playing with their toys on the floor and they even made me a tea.
Two weeks later the police popped in the office said their helicopter was helping them search for a criminal type and noticed that the roof of the house was lit up like a Christmas tree.
So a surprise visit was arranged and good god, it was everywhere, and I mean everywhere.
No tenant, no children and no toys were to be found.
They are very good at it, I will give them that much
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register