AN illegal immigrant who tended to nearly £70,000 worth of plants at a Halesowen cannabis factory has been jailed for 16 months.

There were 173 plants at various stages of growth at the factory in Hurst Green Road, Mr David Lees prosecuting told

Wolverhampton Crown Court.

He said Phan Nguyen, aged 40, had also been looking after another 243 cannabis plants at a second factory in Ensign Road, Erdington

where investigating police officers found a cigarette stub,

That contained the DNA evidence that lead them to Nguyen who had been arrested and charged after his fingerprints were found

at the Halesowen location.

Nguyen of no fixed address admitted two charges of producing cannabis and he was told by Judge Michael Dudley he would be

deported back to Vietnam after his release from custody.

Mr Lees said the two cannabis factories could producing around 18 kilo's of cannabis wth a street value of £180,000.

Mr David Houldcroft defending Nguyen said he had come to the United Kingdom on the back on a lorry via Russia and France.

He said: "He was effectively being used as slave labour."