TWO teenage boys from Vietnam who were freed from the grip of an organised crime gang last year have vanished.

Specialist police officers are appealing for the public’s help to track down the two youngsters who have now been missing for a month.

Tang Chien Dang and Thang Vu Tan, whose exact ages are unknown, were being made to work as ‘gardeners’ in cannabis factories run by a drugs gang working across the South West.

An investigation by Zephyr - the police’s specialist regional organised crime task force - uncovered a drugs den operating out of an address in Whittingham Drive, Wroughton.

Operation Astoria also found similar set-ups in houses across the region.

The Wroughton house had been rented by a serving councillor from Bath under a false name in September 2015.

Coun Donal Hassett was convicted for his role in the drugs operation after a trial at Bristol Crown Court last month - he is due to be sentenced along with five other people in the coming weeks.

Hassett’s trial heard how the young people being forced to work harvesting the cannabis plants were kept in “appalling conditions” having already been trafficked through the modern day slavery network.

It took detectives little time to establish that the boys were victims themselves and not willing participants in the criminal network.

They were put into the care of social services for their safety and wellbeing but police say they have now “gone missing without trace”.

A/Det Insp Nick Eckland, the Senior Investigation Officer on Operation Astoria, said: “I would appeal to the Vietnamese communities of the South West and beyond to come forward and identify the whereabouts of these two young victims.

“It is important that we can find them to make sure they are safe and free from re-exploitation in the future.

“Human trafficking and modern day slavery are extremely high on our agenda across the region, we are absolutely committed to working with our partners to ensure that victims are safeguarded against and offenders are brought to justice.”

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Tang Chien Dang and Thang Vu Tan can phone 101 or alert Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Information can also be submitted via the Crimestoppers website.