Individuals Convicted of Cannabis Offences Face Deportation

A judge at Craigavon Crown Court announced that two individuals implicated in a multi-million pound drug enterprise are to be transferred to a detention facility prior to their deportation to Malaysia. Tan Yang Zhe, 32, residing at Arizona Street in Belfast, received a 44-month sentence on Tuesday. This sentence mandates half to be served in custody and the remaining half on licence. Although Mr. Zhe has completed the custodial portion of his sentence, the judge stated that he would not be released but instead transferred to an immigration centre before his deportation. Chong Keong Lim, 59, of Upper Waterloo Road in Larne, was sentenced concurrently with Mr. Zhe. The judge issued a 40-month sentence to Mr. Lim, citing his comparatively minor involvement as a courier. Having been held in custody since January of last year, Mr. Lim has effectively completed his sentence. Consequently, he will be moved from Maghaberry Prison to a detention centre, preceding the joint deportation of both men to Malaysia. During a previous court session, Mr. Zhe and Mr. Lim admitted guilt to multiple charges concerning the possession, importation, conspiracy to import, and supply of class B cannabis, with offences occurring between 31 May 2022 and 4 February last year. Mr. Zhe, whose involvement was described as a “mixed role of courier and manager,” confessed to 27 offences, while Mr. Lim, identified as a drug courier, pleaded guilty to 17 offences. Additionally, two other individuals, Justin Soon, 36, from Portallo Street in Belfast, and Chue Yuan, 58, whose address was listed as c/o HMO Wormwood Scrubs in London, also entered guilty pleas for comparable offences; however, they were not present in court on Tuesday. The court was informed by the judge that Mr. Zhe’s initial arrest occurred on 24 January last year, when law enforcement officers intercepted and searched him while he was walking on the Springfield Road. Inside his backpack, authorities discovered one kilogram of cannabis, along with two mobile phones and two sets of keys. Utilizing one of these key sets, police conducted a search of Mr. Zhe’s bedroom, where they confiscated an additional 2.9 kilograms of herbal cannabis. The judge noted that this search also yielded documents pertaining to tenancy agreements for multiple rental properties. It was revealed in court that one of these properties was the intended recipient for a six-kilogram package of cannabis, which had been intercepted by Leicester police at East Midlands Airport. Concurrently, an analysis of the confiscated phones indicated Mr. Zhe’s involvement in cannabis supply. Judge McColgan stated that, based on messages found on the phone, six of the 17 charges related to supplying cannabis corresponded to approximately 30 kilograms of the class B drug. Regarding the roles of the men, the judge described Mr. Zhe as having a “mixed role,” encompassing a “managerial role” in securing domestic and commercial properties, in addition to acting as a courier who met clients “to personally complete drug transactions.” She further noted that he received a “fixed salary” for his participation, ranging from £600 to £800 weekly, and that both individuals “lent themselves to the large scale commercial operation involving the distribution of multi-kilo packages of cannabis in the postal system.”