HUGE DRUG CROP BUST
MORE than $2 million in cannabis has been off the market in the past few weeks, as the force cracks down on the illegal crop trade in Geelong.
This week alone specialist detectives have descended on homes in Belmont and Corio, seizing more than 300 plants and arresting a number of alleged offenders.
It follows raids in Whittington and St Albans Park earlier this month, where $1 million in cannabis was found in rental properties only metres from family homes.
Detective Senior Constable Naomi Bourke said on Tuesday police raided a factory on Kim Court, Corio, where officers uncovered a $1 million cannabis crop.
Hours later officers were alerted to a potential drug operation nearby on Harper Rd, Corio, with the premises remaining under police guard throughout the night and yesterday.
“Two males were charged and remanded in relation to Kim Court. A 27-year-old and 41-year-old, both from Melbourne, have been charged with cultivating a commercial quantity of cannabis,” SenConstable Bourke said.
“There were 337 plants worth $1 million. They were in six rooms in a commercial factory, with the men arrested shortly after nearby.”
The two Melbourne men appeared in Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
Van Thanh Nguyen, 41, and Hoc Nguyen, 27, were remanded to reappear for a committal mention on May 19.
On Monday, a botched burglary led police to the discovery of 23 plants in a shed at a Belmont home.
A 32-year-old man from Ballarat and a 32-year-old from Ferntree Gully were allegedly caught loading cannabis plants on to a ute about 5.30am, after a resident was woken by the noise of men using crowbars and sledgehammers to break into the shed.
The occupant of the home, a 31-year-old man, was charged with cultivating, possessing and trafficking cannabis. The other two men were charged with burglary, theft and going equipped to steal.
Inspector Gary Bruce said many raids were the result of community reports, with residents encouraged to continue to report suspicious behaviour in their areas.
Illegal grow houses posed risks to the safety of residents, with power bypassing work a potential fire hazard, he said.
“We’ve seen, in previous years, it moves from suburb to suburb across Melbourne and unfortunately what we’re seeing now is individuals and groups either renting or purchasing houses in Geelong for the purpose of cultivating cannabis,” Insp Bruce said.
“We’re asking the commun- ity to be vigilant because they’ll be the ones noticing the neighbourhood houses that are regularly appearing vacant with limited access by people, covered windows and cannabis odour.
“We’re keen on that type of information so we can act on it.”