A JURY has begun deliberating on its verdict in the trial of an illegal Chinese immigrant accused of smuggling drugs into Failsworth.

Yesterday Shan Gao took to the stand at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court to give evidence in his trial over charges of dealing with goods of fraudulent intent and possessing cannabis with intent to supply to another.

He told a jury he thought he was helping with a delivery of tobacco.

The 54-year-old has pleaded not guilty to both counts and insisted his immigration status meant he would often do 'odd jobs' to survive but had no idea he was collecting drugs.

Today, Friday 22, the defence and prosecution made their closing statements to the jury.

Prosecutor Antony Longworth accused Shan of ‘managing’ and being ‘responsible’ for the Failsworth unit where the smuggled cannabis was delivered as he paid the rent and had the keys.

He added that as ‘the person in charge of the unit’ Shan was ‘aware’ of the involvement of cannabis when it came to the unit and was trying to ‘downplay’ his involvement.

Speaking to jury, Mr Longworth said: “If Mr Shan was an innocent dupe, he would not have been provided with the keys unit because he would have smelt the cannabis inside and become suspicious.”

He added that there was ‘no reason’ for the smugglers to tell Shah that the package, which was purported to contain mechanical equipment, contained tobacco.

Moving onto the flat, which Shan had the keys to and where a toothbrush with his DNA and 33kg of cannabis was found, Mr Longworth said: “There was so much cannabis in so many places. Any person who has spent any time there would know there was cannabis there.”

Defence barrister Mark Fireman argued there was ‘no direct evidence’ that Shan was aware of the amount of cannabis in the flat or that he knew what he was receiving in the delivery.

Speaking to the jury he said: “Mr Shan is an illegal immigrant, he has been in the country for 13 years, he and his wife rent a single room in Moss Side, and he has a VW Passat with a 2011 registration.

“He was an odd job man with little English and as an illegal immigrant there were few options available to him.”

He added that Shan had no previous convictions and was of ‘good character’ and that it was a possibility he was in fact an ‘innocent dupe’ doing odd jobs that a person he trusted wanted him to do.

Mr Fireman went on to say it was likely those involved in the smuggling operation did not want to get ‘their hands dirty’ and did not want their names on the flat’s lease or be there when the package was delivered.

Instead, he said the smuggler would use an ‘odd jobs man’ who would ‘do what he wanted and not ask questions.’

Judge recorder Michael Blake sent the jury home and told them to return at 10.30am on Monday to resume deliberations.