SHE appeared to most to be a successful businesswoman and nail salon owner who had accumulated a large property portfolio around Newcastle, lived in a CBD apartment and drove a luxury Mercedes-Benz.
But Nga White, also known as Emily White, was living a double life running a crime syndicate that cultivated and supplied large quantities of cannabis across Newcastle.
White had a phone for legitimate business and another she used to set up grow houses, negotiate prices with customers and direct her army of "soldiers" and "underlings".
More than four years after sweeping raids revealed sophisticated cannabis operations in the old Churchill's building on Steel Street and at a number of other houses owned by White, the 48-year-old was on Wednesday found guilty of all counts, including directing a criminal group, cultivating a large commercial quantity of cannabis and supplying a commercial quantity of cannabis after a judge-alone trial in Newcastle District Court.
White was led down to the courthouse cells and is looking at years behind bars.
Her defence had argued it was not White on the calls discussing cannabis cultivation and supply and instead it could have been another Vietnamese national with a similar name and accent who took advantage of her and exploited her success.
But Acting Judge Stephen Walmsley, SC, said the evidence pointing to it being White on those crucial calls was "overwhelming" and he was left with no doubt she was directing the activities of the Newcastle-based crime syndicate.
And because of documents found with the bags of discarded cannabis cut-offs, police were able to identify a number of people, including White, and a number of premises and launch an investigation into the cultivation and supply of cannabis.
After conducting surveillance, police stopped a car at Adamstown in October, 2017, found 18 kilograms of cannabis in the boot and arrested Hoai Nam Nguyen, The Anh Hoang and Cuong Van Nguyen.
The three men, Vietnamese nationals and cannabis crop sitters, were each jailed in 2019 for a maximum of four years.
Using a set of keys found on the men, police were able to gain access to the commercial premises in Steel Street where they located 329 cannabis plants being grown hydroponically and 39 bags containing more than 17 kilograms of cannabis.
White was arrested at her nail salon business at Kotara the next day.
Police also searched a number of other premises at New Lambton, Maryland and Mayfield owned by White where Mr Queenan said they uncovered equipment used for the hydroponic cultivation of cannabis.
