Former Poker Pro Luong Bui Accused in $600,000 Cannabis Trial

Former professional poker player Luong-Huu Bui has been accused of running a network of cannabis-growing factories across Northern Ireland after police seized 1200 plants with a street value of £600,000…

Bui is best-known in poker circles for winning the 2010 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour Grand Final – a victory worth £144,905 ($190,000).

Prosecutors, however, claim the Vietnamese-born British citizen now ‘heads an organisation linked to a high-end crime gang operating on both sides of the Irish border’, according to the Belfast Telegraph newspaper.

The 42-year old faces numerous charges, including ‘conspiracy to supply and produce Class B drugs, being concerned in their production, possessing criminal property, dishonestly using electricity, and assisting unlawful immigration.’

His defence counsel, Martin Morgan, argued:

"It's not good enough to say 'we think he has connections to some Vietnamese crime family', but the prosecution team claim they have ‘CCTV surveillance evidence and fingerprints found on a tenancy agreement’ to link him to the crimes."

They further claim that Bui attempted to dispose of three mobile phones in a toilet cistern when police raided his Belfast home.

Bui, who has recorded cashes of over $350,000 on the Hendon Mob database was also involved in a previous drug-growing case in 2013. Money found on that occasion – ‘a £50,000 ($65,600) bundle of cash’ according to Cardplayer.com – was explained away by his barrister as mostly poker winnings.

"He played high-stakes poker in London and Vegas, and won vast sums of money," his counsel stated.

Bui was granted bail yesterday after a High Court judge heard that the defendant could face two years behind bars awaiting trial.