Dunno if it should be in canna news but thought you guys might like a read .
PRISON bosses have been forced to create a special unit for Chinese criminals and suspects accused of running hash factories.
An entire wing of Barlinnie's C Hall is being used for cannabis farm inmates with dedicated translators.
Jail sources say the cost to the taxpayer is more than £2million.
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) say just under 100 inmates from China and Vietnam are in the system - with most of them in jail because of hash farms.
In the last three years, 250 have gone through the system. An SPS spokeswoman said: "We have 79 Chinese and 18 Vietnamese prisoners held in Scottish establishments, the majority of which are in Barlinnie Prison in Glasgow, with six Vietnamese and 13 Chinese in Edinburgh.
"We have access to a number of translation services under a contract."
A Glasgow-based lawyer, who has represented several illegal Chinese immigrants, said: "There is a staggering number of East Asian-born prisoners being held for running cannabis farms. When we visit them in jail, we invariably need translators, which adds to the cost as their fees are very expensive."
In the new wing, prison sources say one group are awaiting trial, others are serving sentences for cannabis growing and a third group are waiting to be deported.
Last year, police in Scotland uncovered more than 110 hash farms growing skunk cannabis in f lats and houses rented from unsuspecting owners. They seized hash worth almost £15million.
But the total value of the industry is believed to be closer to £100million as many farms are never uncovered.
Some 78 per cent of those arrested in the past year for cannabis cultivation have been Chinese, with 20 per cent from Vietnam.
One high-profile case involved former restaurant boss Peter Tran, who came to Scotland from Vietnam.
He is serving a five-year term for growing cannabis in a shop in Elgin, Moray. He had £152,186 seized.
Illegal immigrant Zhao Chen, 46, was jailed for 32 months last year after police raided a cannabis farm in a house in Kelty, Fife. They seized cannabis resin worth £336,000.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/s...linnie-to-get-2m-special-unit-86908-22211037/
Come on Scotland Legalize the weed and use this money...its not rocket science.. the public want it ! & stop this madness...
PRISON bosses have been forced to create a special unit for Chinese criminals and suspects accused of running hash factories.
An entire wing of Barlinnie's C Hall is being used for cannabis farm inmates with dedicated translators.
Jail sources say the cost to the taxpayer is more than £2million.
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) say just under 100 inmates from China and Vietnam are in the system - with most of them in jail because of hash farms.
In the last three years, 250 have gone through the system. An SPS spokeswoman said: "We have 79 Chinese and 18 Vietnamese prisoners held in Scottish establishments, the majority of which are in Barlinnie Prison in Glasgow, with six Vietnamese and 13 Chinese in Edinburgh.
"We have access to a number of translation services under a contract."
A Glasgow-based lawyer, who has represented several illegal Chinese immigrants, said: "There is a staggering number of East Asian-born prisoners being held for running cannabis farms. When we visit them in jail, we invariably need translators, which adds to the cost as their fees are very expensive."
In the new wing, prison sources say one group are awaiting trial, others are serving sentences for cannabis growing and a third group are waiting to be deported.
Last year, police in Scotland uncovered more than 110 hash farms growing skunk cannabis in f lats and houses rented from unsuspecting owners. They seized hash worth almost £15million.
But the total value of the industry is believed to be closer to £100million as many farms are never uncovered.
Some 78 per cent of those arrested in the past year for cannabis cultivation have been Chinese, with 20 per cent from Vietnam.
One high-profile case involved former restaurant boss Peter Tran, who came to Scotland from Vietnam.
He is serving a five-year term for growing cannabis in a shop in Elgin, Moray. He had £152,186 seized.
Illegal immigrant Zhao Chen, 46, was jailed for 32 months last year after police raided a cannabis farm in a house in Kelty, Fife. They seized cannabis resin worth £336,000.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/s...linnie-to-get-2m-special-unit-86908-22211037/
Come on Scotland Legalize the weed and use this money...its not rocket science.. the public want it ! & stop this madness...
