Nga Thanh Phan, an Auckland landlord, lost her multi-property portfolio after police discovered large-scale cannabis cultivation at several houses she and her family owned.
Raids revealed commercial grow operations across seven properties, leading to criminal charges, mortgage defaults, and the forced sale of the properties.
Phan, who once had a clean criminal record, was convicted and sentenced to home detention after pleading guilty to knowingly permitting the drug operations. She also agreed to forfeit $300,000 to police under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act, with a risk of losing her own home if she fails to pay the balance.
Court documents show suspicious financial activity linked to the properties, including large unexplained cash deposits.
Although Phan claimed ignorance and cited family health issues and cultural pressures, the courts found her explanations inconsistent with the evidence.
Her brother Dung Anh Phan and former husband Khanh Truong Nguyen
faced separate civil forfeiture cases, collectively surrendering over $320,000.
Image credit: Ryan Lange
