CROP BUSTERS
Police seize $700k worth of cannabis on the Bellarine
Three illegal migrants arrested
UP TO $700,000 worth of cannabis has been seized in police raids on two Bellarine Peninsula houses and a Melbourne property.
Geelong Drug Investigation Unit’s Sergeant Peter Meath said police pulled large plants and hydroponic equipment from a house on You Yangs Ave, Curlewis, and another in Stokes St, Queenscliff.
“We’ve got about 230 plants so far,” Sgt Meath said. “As an estimated street value, they have the ability to pull a yield of $3000 a plant, so that’s almost $700,000.”
Police also raided a house in Glen Waverley in Melbourne’s east.
Three illegal migrants were arrested in the raids.
POLICE raids on three grow houses have resulted in the discovery of at least $700,000 worth of cannabis and the arrest of three “unlawful citizens”.
Police swooped on two Bellarine houses — and one in Glen Waverley in Melbourne’s east — on Thursday night, finding a large amount of mature cannabis plants and hydroponic equipment.
Geelong Drug Investigation Unit’s Sergeant Peter Meath said yesterday police pulled plants and equipment from two houses, one on You Yangs Ave, Curlewis, and one on Stokes St in Queenscliff.
“We’ve got about 230 plants so far,” Sgt Meath said.
“As an estimated street value, they have the ability to pull a yield of $3000 a plant, so that’s almost $700,000. “It’s a good result.” Sgt Meath said three “unlawful citizens with expired visas” were remanded overnight following the series of warrants, with two arrested at 6pm and another arrested at 3am yesterday.
“One of them has been charged with three sets of commercial quantities relating to the house in Mount Waverley — which was about 330 plants,” Sgt Meath said.
It is understood the Bellarine houses were both private rentals paid for in cash, leading Sgt Meath to warn landlords to take caution when accepting cash payments for rental properties.
The bust comes after Geelong detectives took almost $2 million worth of cannabis off the market in a matter of weeks earlier this year.
Early February raids in Whittington and St Albans Park saw police seize an estimated $1 million worth of cannabis in residential rental homes.
Then a February 21 police raid on a factory on Kim Court, Corio, saw officers uncover another $1 million cannabis crop.
At the time, Inspector Gary Bruce said many raids came following community tip-offs and many of those involved in the illegal trade appeared to be coming from Melbourne to take advantage of cheaper rent in Greater Geelong.
“We’ve seen in previous years it move 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 told the Advertiser.
“We’re asking the community 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.”