NSW cannabis bust: 14 arrested, $40 million plants seized
Fourteen people have been arrested after more than $40 million worth of cannabis was seized across regional NSW in what police say is one of the largest busts of the drug in Australian history.
NSW
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Vietnamese organised crime groups busted in Australia’s largest ever cannabis seizure had targeted drought and fire-ravaged farmers, buying up their land and importing illegal workers to run the crops, police allege.
The Drug and Firearm Squad yesterday announced it had ripped 13,353 marijuana plants out of three properties in the Taree area – a weed stash estimated to be worth more than $40 million on the street.
That seizure was the largest in a single police operation in Australia and adds to the $60.2 million already seized through the investigation codenamed Strike Force Harthouse, since November.
Police will allege the 14 Vietnamese nationals arrested when the properties in Minimbah, Melinga and Moorland last week included men on student and bridging visas.
Police believe some of the men had been identified for their skills and brought to Australia specifically to grow the sophisticated cannabis crops.
Sources close to the investigation said the land, in many cases, had been purchased from farmers who were in distress following years of economic pressure caused by drought and bushfire and were offered a way out by the well-funded criminal groups.
There is no suggestion the previous owners of any of the properties had done anything wrong.
Police alleged the Vietnamese gangs would routinely convert the farmhouse of each property into a processing plant.
The cannabis was allegedly grown inside large sophisticated greenhouses, ensuring year-round cultivation, before the plants were brought into the homes, dried and prepared for sale.
Of the 14 men arrested, four were here on bridging visas, another four had been granted student visas, two were permanent residents and four were in the country unlawfully. All have had their visa status referred to the Department of Home Affairs.
The men were variously charged with offences including cultivating a prohibited plant and supplying a prohibited drug.
Drug and Firearms Squad commander Detective Superintendent John Watson said the seizure illustrated the rate at which criminals could now grow cannabis.
“As far as cannabis seizures go, we have not seen one of this size since the 1970s,” Supt Watson said.
“The biggest difference is in 1975 outdoor crops were seasonal, so criminal groups were restricted to one crop a year, whereas these grow houses are weather controlled enabling the harvest of new plants every 12 weeks or so.”
Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said major growing operations were being used to raise capital to invest in other crimes.
“In an operational assessment by the ACIC, criminal syndicates like the one we will allege is behind this operation, will take the funds made from large-scale cultivation in cannabis and reinvest it into other criminal enterprises such as money laundering, manufacture of prohibited drugs like ‘ice’ and immigration fraud,” Mr Smith said.
$40 MILLION CANNABIS BUST
Police have seized more than $40 million dollars worth of cannabis and arrested 14 people in one of the largest busts of the drug in 50 years.
NSW Police State Crime Command’s drug and firearms squad and the Australian Crime Intelligence Commission created Strike Force Harthouse to investigate the growing and supply of cannabis across NSW in November 2019.
After an almost year-long investigation, state crime detectives and local police executed search warrants last Thursday and Friday in regional NSW.
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Properties in Minibah, Melinga and Moorland were raided with 14 people arrested and 13,353 cannabis plants seized.
There were 5,593 plants and 17kg of dried cannabis sized from the Minimbah location. Officers believe this has a combined value of $16.9 million.
Police arrested six men, all Vietnamese nationals, including a 31-year-old man who is a permanent resident and a 41-year-old man who is illegally in Australia.
The other men, aged 23, 27, 38 and 44, were in the country on student and bridging visas.
They were questioned at Taree Police Station before being charged with serious drug offences.
Another eight Vietnamese men were arrested in raids the next day.
Three of these, aged 24, 23 and 22, were illegally in the country. While the remaining four of the men, 22, 27, 24 and 23 were on student and bridging visas.
The final man, 31, was an Australian permanent resident.
NSW Police drug and firearms squad commander Detective Superintendent John Watson said this was one of the largest in the nation’s history.
“Over the two days, 14 offenders were arrested, and more than 13,000 plants were seized with an estimated street value of over $40 million,” he said.
“As far as cannabis seizures go, we have not seen one of this size since the 1970s.
“The biggest difference is in 1975 outdoor crops were seasonal, so criminal groups were restricted to one crop a year, whereas these grow houses are weather controlled enabling the harvest of new plants every 12 weeks or so.”
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said the arrests will have a knock-on effect to impact other criminal groups.
“In an operational assessment by the ACIC, criminal syndicates like the one we will allege is behind this operation, will take the funds made from large-scale cultivation in cannabis and reinvest it into other criminal enterprises such as money laundering, manufacture of prohibited drugs like ‘ice’ and immigration fraud,” he said.
“The significance of the arrests and seizures made under Strike Force Harthouse, stretch far beyond the cannabis trade, it impacts the revenue made by these criminal groups to invest in other organised crime that places the community’s safety and way of life under constant risk.
“This is why the disruption and dismantling of organised crime is such a priority for NSW Police and we will continue to be dogged in our pursuit of those involved to put them before the courts.”
All of the men were refused bail in Taree Local Court and their visas have been referred to the department of home affair
NSW Police and Emergency Services Minister David Elliott said the alleged criminals had no regard for the community.
“This remarkable work by the NSW Police Force will keep millions out of the hands of criminals, which will go a long way to keeping our communities safe,” Mr Elliott said.
“We know these criminal groups have no regard for the community and the NSW Government will continue to support NSW Police to shut down their operations at all levels.”