AN ILLEGAL immigrant caught looking after 647 plants valued at £600,000 at a Halesowen cannabis factory has been locked up for three years.

The illegal operation on the Shenstone Industrial Estate in Bromsgrove Road was found when Police raided the premises, said Mr John Brotherton prosecuting.

He said Toan Chu , aged 27, tried to escape but officers blocked a fire door and they then came upon what was a “extensive and susbstantial cannabis plantation.”

When questioned Vietnamese born Chu admitted he had been living in the unit for about 50 days.

He said he had been taken to the site by two men and maintained he had been forced to act as a gardener for the growing plants.

There was no money involved, added Chu, who explained he had been given food and drinks by people he could not name.

Chu of no fixed address admitted producing the Class B drug and also abstracting a quantity of electricity.

He was told by Judge Stephen Eyre QC it was a serious offence because of the significant amount of cannabis being grown and only a substantial period of custody was appropriate.

Mr Jonathan Barker defending Chu who faces deportation when he has completed his time behind bars stressed he played no part in setting up the cannabis farm.

“He was promised payment for the work he did but none was forthcoming,” said Mr Barker.

“He was exploited because of his position.”

Wolverhampton Crown Court was told the plants were in various stages of growth and experts calculated they could have had a value of around £617,000 while a utility firm suffered a loss of £23,100 because the electricity supply to the building had been by-passed.