Six Vietnamese nationals face Port Adelaide court on drugs charges
Six Vietnamese men accused of an “elaborate” drug syndicate were busted when police raided three homes including one furnished with nothing but cannabis and a couch.
West & Beaches
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Six Vietnamese nationals allegedly behind an “elaborate” drug syndicate remain in custody after a police raid uncovered a home furnished with nothing but cannabis and a couch.
Hung Dinh Dang, 41, Huong Trong Pham, 32, Huong Van Dang, 48, Tuan Quoc Nguyen, 23, Dao Thanh Nguyen, 36 and Tri Huu Doan, 50, on Monday appeared in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court.
The sextet, all on bridging visas, faced serious drug charges including cultivating, selling and trafficking a large quantity of a controlled drug stemming from what police say was a “sophisticated” cannabis growing operation.
Applications for home detention assessment by Son Nguyen, for Mr Dao, and Paul Avina, for Mr Van Dang, were rejected by Magistrate Luke Davis who said the offending was “too serious” and it had displaced their presumption of bail.
Legal Aid duty solicitor Imogen Noble, for Mr Pham and Mr Doan, did not make an application, nor did Peter Do, for Mr Dinh Dang, or Ben Chehade, for Mr Quoc Nguyen.
The court heard each man allegedly played some role in an “elaborate set-up” unearthed by SA Police during raids linked to a January discovery of 250 cannabis plants at Hillier in the state’s north.
The police prosecutor told the court the men had been arrested following raids of properties at Dudley Park, Rosewater and Ridleyton on April 1.
Police will allege 10kg of dried cannabis was found in the laundry cupboard at Dudley Park and 89 plants of various sizes were found at Rosewater.
They will also allege the home at Ridleyton, where 142 cannabis plants were found, had been “set-up solely for cultivating cannabis” and had no furniture in it but for a small couch.
Mr Pham and Mr Van Dang both faced nine charges each, Mr Dao and Mr Doan faced three charges, and Mr Quoc Nguyen and Mr Dinh Dang faced two charges.
In applying for home detention Mr Son told the court Mr Dao could not be linked to every one of the properties other than by DNA and that his partner was pregnant and due to give birth in October.
Mr Dao’s partner sat weeping in the rear of the court as Mr Davis rejected her partner’s bail bid.
A supporter for Mr Van Dang, his employer who was prepared to guarantor his bail, also sat at the rear of the court as the magistrate again rejected the home detention application.
“You’re simply in way too deep,” Mr Davis told Mr Van Dang.
“You’re charged with nine offences that are extremely serious and involve allegations of an elaborate set-up including diverted electricity to a large number of plants, and amounts of cannabis, and cannabis related material.”
A home detention assessment was ordered for Mr Quoc Nguyen, a one-time economics student, on grounds his two charges were the “weakest and least serious”.
The remaining accused did not make applications.
The six men were remanded in custody and with charge determination set for July in the Adelaide Magistrates Court.
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