How police uncovered $60m cannabis farm in tiny Fraser Coast town
Police will allege a Vietnamese crime syndicate was behind a $60m grow farm in which more than 11,000 cannabis plants were allegedly discovered after a raid resulted in the arrest of 18 people. VIDEO
Police & Courts
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Police raids at an alleged grow farm in a tiny Fraser Coast community has uncovered $60m worth of cannabis, cash, vehicles and equipment.
Operation Victor Economy was established to target an organised crime group facilitating the commercial production and distribution of cannabis across Australia, targeting Vietnamese organised crime syndicates.
The operation has resulted in 18 people being charged with 80 drug related offences to date.
On November 7, detectives from the Drug and Serious Crime Group executed a search warrant at a property at Gungaloon, Fraser Coast, where the officers allegedly located a significant cannabis grow farm.
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About 11,118 cannabis plants were located at the property, along with 515 kilograms of dried cannabis bud.
Police located and arrested 10 people at the property.
Another man attempted to leave the scene upon arrival of detectives but was tracked down by the dog squad a short time later.
All 11 people have been charged with one count each of producing dangerous drugs, possessing dangerous drugs, and possessing items used or for use in the commission of crime.
They have all been remanded in custody and are expected to reappear at Maryborough Magistrates Court on January 23, 2024.
Detective Inspector Brad Phelps said the operation had been established to target cannabis production by Vietnamese organised crime syndicates.
He said generally the properties were rural farming properties and he believed the property at Gungaloon was a cattle farm.
Inspector Phelps said “massive generators” brought onto the property to were used to run the lights and the hydroponic set up.
He said on the farms generally they would sink a bore or make dams to access water.
“These syndicates seem to be targeting southeast Queensland rural areas and setting up these massive cannabis production facilities,” he said.
“On this site alone there were 11 offenders.”
Inspector Phelps said the 11 alleged offenders were on student Visas from Vietnam.
Those arrested were aged between 34 and 54, he said, and some had been in Australia for a short time and others for a longer period.
He said that particular syndicate had been the subject of a police investigation over a number of months.
“In that period it takes the syndicate a very short period of time to set up these grow farms,” he said.
“They then can turn out incredible amounts of cannabis on a weekly basis.
“And certainly this farm was producing, it will be alleged, hundreds of kilos a week.”
Inspector Phelps said organised crime preyed on the vulnerable and profited from it, living a lifestyle regular people could not do holding down a standard job.
For the people arrested on site, there had been multiple people living in each room and basic living conditions, he said.
“These people are brought into the country, they are put on these sites, they work 16 plus hours a day in fairly deplorable conditions to support the profit-making activities of these organised crimes,” he said.
Inspector Phelps said they were victims in so far as the conditions they worked in went but it appeared they did do that voluntarily in most instances, happy to take the risk for the money they could make.
Police had seized cash, a number of vehicles, trucks, tractors and other equipment as part of the raid, he said.
Police also executed 10 search warrants across Brisbane, Moreton, Sunshine Coast and Logan districts in connection to the Gungaloon property, where they further located $521,000 in cash, 90 kilograms of cannabis, 245 grams of cocaine, 350 grams of ice, and 126 grams of MDMA.
Seven additional persons have been charged with 47 drug related offences as a result of the execution of these search warrants.
Those charged include a 22-year-old Boronia Heights man, who has been charged with three counts of trafficking dangerous drugs, one count of supplying dangerous drugs, three counts of possessing dangerous drugs, and one count each of possess utensils or pipes, possess anything used in the commission of crime and receiving or possessing property obtained from trafficking or supplying.
He has been remanded in custody and is expected to reappear at Richlands Magistrates Court on February 27, 2024.
A 43-year-old Inala man has also been charged with one count of trafficking dangerous drugs, one count of producing dangerous drugs, five counts of supplying dangerous drugs, one count of possessing dangerous drugs, two counts of possessing anything items used or for use in the commission of crime.
He has been remanded in custody and is expected to reappear at Richlands Magistrates Court on Thursday, November 10.
Inspector Phelps said this operation has disrupted a major criminal syndicate.
“It will be alleged that the Gungaloon farm has been operational for approximately 18 months,” he said.
“We’ve seized a significant quantity of drugs, plants, cash, assets and equipment as a result of these raids.
“The reality is that these dangerous drugs were destined for sale to some of the most vulnerable people within our state and beyond.
“The resources and funding required to establish and run commercial cannabis production facilities of this scale is significant.
“The seizure of over half a million dollars in cash along with significant assets provides an indication of the money generated by organised crime from cannabis production.
“The seizure of not only cannabis but ice, cocaine and MDMA in this investigation demonstrates that profit is the sole motivation for these criminal syndicates.”
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