Thanh Minh Nguyen jailed over role in $3m cannabis operation at Ovingham, Northfield and Waterloo Corner

A Vietnamese man with a keen eye for horticulture agreed to grow cannabis when he ran out of money – and ended up helping build an Adelaide weed empire.

A Vietnamese national with an “aptitude for horticulture” has been jailed for his role in a widespread Adelaide cannabis syndicate.

Thanh Minh Nguyen, 29, of Angle Park, appeared in the District Court last Friday, having pleaded guilty to multiple counts of cultivating commercial quantities of controlled plants, possessing prescribed equipment and diverting electricity.

He was arrested in January 2022 after police raids in 2018 and 2019 dismantled a widespread, $10m cannabis operation that included nine grow houses across Adelaide.

Four co-accused were jailed for their roles in June 2021.

The court heard Nguyen was involved in four of the grow houses at Ovingham, Hectorville, Northfield and Waterloo Corner, which produced a combined street value of $3m in cannabis.

He was not an organiser of the gang but acted as a “gardener” for the crops.

Judge Geraldine Davison said the Ovingham house was leased in Nguyen’s name and contained 90 plants growing hydroponically in three rooms, along with 52 shades, 52 globes, 53 transformers and one carbon filter.

Cannabis found at the growhouse in Hectorville. Picture: Courts

Dried cannabis found at the growhouse in Ovingham. Picture: Courts

Grow room one at the Waterloo Corner operation. Picture: Courts

No one was living at the home, but there was an electricity bill found in his name.

Judge Davison said he did not set up the plants at the homes but was offered food and accommodation in return for checking on them.

Nguyen also tended to the 70 plants found at the Northfield house in August 2018, the court heard, while 22 were found at a Hectorville house that had been leased in his name.

Cannabis plants at the Waterloo Corner growhouse. Picture: Courts

Police and cannabis plants at the Waterloo Corner growhouse. Picture: Courts

However, his role was much more “significant” to the huge crop at Waterloo Corner, where nearly 350 cannabis plants were found when police raided the property on August 13, 2019.

The set-up included seven hydroponic grow rooms, drying tables, lights, shades and filters

“You became heavily involved in the set-up of the large commercial quantity of cannabis being grown at Waterloo Corner,” Judge Davison said.

“You say that you did this at the direction of another person, but you were involved in a number of aspects of this cultivation, including bringing in soil and doing manual labour, doing the gardening, and being involved in the clean-up.”

He was offered food and lodging for his work and medicine, which was sent back to Vietnam for his sick mother, the court heard.

Judge Davison said it had been submitted that Nguyen did not realise the “seriousness” of the organisation.

Inside grow room four at Waterloo Corner. Picture: Courts

Power diversions at the Waterloo Corner grow operation. Picture: Courts

“It was said that you have an aptitude in horticulture and that these skills were being exploited, as was your naivety in relation to providing your identity and premise to others.

“ … As time went on and it became clear how much was involved you must have had a clear understanding of the scale of this type of offending.”

The court heard Nguyen had moved to Australia to study agriculture but ran out of money and could not afford to return home when his visa expired.

He turned to farm work, growing crops hydroponically for cash, which was when he was approached by the cannabis syndicate.

“The cultivations were well organised, successful and had the police not been involved they had a street value of at least $3m,” Judge Davison said.

Nguyen was sentenced to seven years and seven months in jail. After time already spent in custody, he was given a non-parole period of four years and five months.

Originally published as Thanh Minh Nguyen jailed over role in $3m cannabis operation at Ovingham, Northfield and Waterloo Corner