They were arrested as part of Operation Scorpion which targeted a number of cannabis farms run by Vietnamese nationals on Tyneside.

This was the final stage of a three part operation led by the Crime Operations section of the force's Crime Department in which a total of 17 people have been arrested and convicted, 16 of them illegal Vietnamese immigrants who have been recommended for deportation on conclusion of their sentences.

As a result of the operation 16 cannabis farms were closed down and a total of 4,408 plants, with an estimated value of more than £1million, were seized and destroyed. A total of £12,500 in cash has also been confiscated .

In addition, several hundred high power heating lamps, reflectors, and associated wiring systems, plus hundreds of metres of plastic and reflective sheeting, hundreds of litres of plant foods, thousands of litres of compost and thousands of plant pots have been seized and destroyed.

A/Detective Chief Inspector George Duff, of Crime Operations, said: "This is the culmination of a three phase operation led by Northumbria Police targeting a number of Vietnamese run cannabis 'farms' on Tyneside.

"The growing trend of homes being converted into cannabis farms is not unique to Northumbria and has become a national issue.

"This sentence should send out a clear message that organised criminals will not be allowed to operate in Northumbria. We are committed to making our communities safer and reducing the supply of illegal drugs and we would urge people always to be alert and report suspicious activity to their neighbourhood police team."

On Tuesday, November 18, at Newcastle Crown Court, Hien Duc Vu, 48, of Laurel Heights, North Tyneside, was jailed for four years, Long Duc Pham, 31, of no fixed abode, was jailed for 18 months and Nguyen Anh Ngo, 35, of Laurel Heights, North Tyneside was sentenced to ten months.

They were arrested on Wednesday, May 21, at a property in Laurel Heights, North Tyneside. On the same day officers searched properties at The Gardens, Monkseaton, and Plessey Crescent, Whitley Bay, where they found sophisticated cannabis farms. In total 322 plants were recovered from The Gardens and 184 plants were recovered from Plessey Crescent.

As well as the cannabis, £4,000 in cash was seized, and a substantial amount of equipment used for ventilation, irrigation, heat and light were seized and later destroyed.