New claim after two men allegedly caught fleeing Grampians bushfire with cannabis trucks

Police have levelled a wild new claim in court after two men were allegedly found fleeing a bushfire with trucks full of cannabis on Christmas Eve.

A Vietnamese national allegedly caught fleeing a bushfire with trucks full of cannabis has been wanted in South Australia since 2021 after a huge crop seizure, a court has been told.

Tien Tran, 36, was arrested alongside Anh Mai, 37, in a Budget rental truck on Christmas Eve with police allegedly locating two other rental trucks containing a total of 203 mature cannabis plants abandoned near the small town of Moyston in western Victoria.

Mr Tran appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Thursday seeking bail to live with a friend in Melbourne while he fights charges he was involved in cultivating a commercial quantity of the drug.

Called to give evidence, Senior Constable Jack Main said police had been called to Moyston by a resident who had seen multiple trucks leave a property on White Patch Rd.

He told the court many residents in town were evacuating the Grampians National Park bushfire and there were heightened concerns locally about looting.

The cannabis haul was being moved from growhouses in this Moyston compound, police allege. Picture: 7NEWS.

Constable Main said police will allege Mr Tran was driving a truck containing 87 bags of soil, but he possessed a front door key to the White Patch Rd property and Mr Mai had keys to one of the cannabis trucks.

Each of the three trucks had been rented in Melbourne the same day by Mr Tran, Mr Mai and a third man, Constable Main said.

On Christmas Day, he said police raided the property, allegedly finding a “sophisticated hydroponic system” and seizing more than 200 additional cannabis plants, weighing more than 250kgs.

He said Mr Tran denied he was involved in cultivating cannabis, knew nothing about the cannabis trucks and was asked to drive one truck for a friend.

The fire forced the evacuations of towns surrounding the Grampians National Park. Picture: AFP Handout/ State Control Centre – Victoria Emergency Services.

Constable Main told the court Mr Tran had priors for producing and possessing a dangerous drug in Queensland and was wanted in South Australia.

He told the court he had spoken with a South Australian Police Force detective who claimed Mr Tran was a suspect in a 3000-plant cannabis crop located in 2021.

He was allegedly linked by DNA to receipts, invoices and ledgers seized during the South Australia investigation, Constable Main said, and was “likely” to be charged.

Mr Tran’s lawyer, Richard Revill, told the court allegations his client was involved in cultivating the cannabis crop would be in dispute.

He said Mr Tran, who works as a gardener and landscaper, was hired on the day to move bags of growing medium.

“He’s the gofer, he’s the deliveryman, he’s the handyman — its how he supports himself,” he said.

“The evidence is indicative of a low level participant; a foot soldier.”

The property is off White Patch Rd. Picture: 7NEWS.

A friend of Mr Tran, Yen Bui, offered up a $10,000 surety and a room in her home if he was granted bail.

She told the court Mr Tran was a nice guy who had helped her out with gardening and was “like a younger brother”.

But prosecutors strongly opposed bail being granted, arguing the prospect of more serious charges being laid in Victoria and South Australia gives Mr Tran clear motive to flee the country.

Magistrate Costas Kilias agreed, saying the charges were serious and Mr Tran could receive a significant jail term if proven.

“These charges are too serious for bail to be granted, putting it another way I’m not satisfied he has established exceptional circumstances,” he said.

“There’s only one way at this stage to ensure his attendance at court … bail is refused.”

Both Mr Tran and Mr Mai will return to court in April.

The Grampians fire has caused considerable damage. Picture: NewsWire / Diego Fedele

The bushfire in the Grampians National Park was started by a lightning strike on December 16 and has since torn through 76,000 hectares of land.

Four homes and 41 outbuildings have been destroyed, according to the Country Fire Authority.

Originally published as New claim after two men allegedly caught fleeing Grampians bushfire with cannabis trucks