Judge tells man with fake ID the sooner he's deported the better
Nam Ngoc entered the UK illegally three years ago
Nam Ngoc is a member of an organised crime group
(Image: South Wales Police )
Police swooped on a member of an organised crime group as he was delivering drugs from Cardiff to Swansea, a court has heard. Officers found 5kg of cannabis in the back of Nam Ngoc's car, and found he was carrying a false international driver's licence.
Swansea Crown Court heard 21-year-old Ngoc entered the UK illegally three years ago and has previously worked as a painter and decorator in Yorkshire. A judge told the defendant that the sooner he is sent back to his home country the better.
Alycia Carpanini, prosecuting, told the court that on December 20 last year police received reports from the Grangetown area of Cardiff of a group of men transferring large bags from a van to the boot of the car. Some of the men were said to be carrying firearms.
She said officers were dispatched to the incident and officers located the car - a Seat Leon - travelling westbound on the M4 motorway.
The Seat was followed as it left the motorway and drove into Swansea, and was tracked to Pentregethin Road where it was stopped.
The court heard police detained the driver - Ngoc - and searched the Seat. In the boot they found two bags for life shopping bags which contained vacuum-packed packages of cannabis. The total weight of the cannabis was 5.2kg worth up to £26,000. For all the latest court stores sign up to our crime newsletter
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The prosecutor said when Ngoc was searched he was found to be carrying £395 in cash and an international driver's licence in the name of Tien Dung Nguyen but bearing the defendant's photo.
When the defendant's phone was searched officers found pictures of cannabis, messages relating to the supply of drugs, and a document containing a list of "SA" postcodes.
The court heard Ngoc answered "no comment" to all questions asked in interview but then gave officers a prepared statement in which he denied possessing cannabis with intent to supply.
Nam Ngoc, of no fixed abode, had previously pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis with intent to supply when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.
Ieuan Rees, for Ngoc, said the defendant came to UK illegally from Vietnam some three years ago and lived in Bradford where he worked as a painter and decorator "before becoming involved in matters which brought him to Swansea".
Judge Huw Rees said there was no explanation as to why the defendant had a driving licence in the name of someone else but said it was clear that Ngoc was in the UK illegally.
He said Ngoc and "no doubt others" were involved in the supply of cannabis, and he told the defendant that the sooner he is deported back to his home country the better.
With a 10% discount for his guilty plea Ngoc was sentenced to eight months in prison.
Defendants serve up to half their sentences in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community but the court heard the Home Office officers have already arranged to speak to Ngoc about his status in the country.
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