Hoang Truong denied bail for involvement in Buckland Park cannabis crop
One of the men allegedly involved in the largest cannabis crop SA police have seen – worth millions on the streets – is an illegal resident, a court has heard.
North & North East
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An illegal resident was allegedly involved in a multi-million-dollar cannabis set-up which was “hiding in plain sight” among vegetable crops.
Hoang Phuoc Truong, 53, applied for bail in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday, after his arrest in one of the biggest crops South Australia Police have seen.
A police prosecutor opposed the bail application, due to the gravity of the offending.
The court heard police attended a Buckland Park property on December 29 after receiving information that a cannabis crop was being grown there.
“There were 53 greenhouses there,” the police prosecutor said.
The court heard eight men were seen tending to those greenhouses when police arrived, with Truong and his co-accused allegedly running from the scene.
“A walk through the premises was later conducted and the greenhouses searched – each were full of cannabis being grown,” the police prosecutor said.
The court heard 7426 cannabis plants and 300kg of dried cannabis were located on the 10 acre property.
While police allege there are ten people involved, the initial people arrested were Truong, Phuong Le, 49, Vu Le, 50, Dep Nguyen, 68, Quyen Nguyen, 54, Thanh Nguyen, 28, Van Nguyen, 45, and Van Nguyen, 39.
At the time of the arrests, acting officer in charge of the Serious and Organised Crime Branch, Chief Inspector Darren Fielke, said it was a “sophisticated” operation that was one of the biggest seen in recent South Australian history.
He said the operation, which he estimated started several months ago, was “very brazen” and “hiding in plain sight” among glasshouse vegetable gardens.
The dried marijuana found is estimated to be worth $1.8m at street level.
The Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday heard that Truong was an illegal resident.
“Immigration records indicate that Mr Truong is unlawfully in Australia,” the police prosecutor said.
Truong, of no fixed address, is charged with trafficking in a large commercial quantity of controlled drugs and cultivating controlled plants.
He is yet to enter any pleas.
Benjamin Newell, for Truong confirmed that Truong was on a tourist visa which expired in 2014.
“His instructions are that he’s been residing in Melbourne and came to South Australia in September to be a market gardener,” he said.
The court heard Truong had been remanded in custody since December and had limited ties to South Australia.
Mr Newell said it was not known what role Truong played in the cannabis crop or if he was simply the gardener for the fruits and vegetables.
“His instructions are that he was paid $200 a day to be a market gardener,” he said.
“We understand there’s capsicum and other vegetables growing there as well, other than the cannabis crop at the property.”
Magistrate Simon Smart denied Truong bail.
The charges were adjourned until August.
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