Justin Borg: Horsley Park electrician guilty of cultivating cannabis
An electrician who used his technical knowledge to set up a growhouse, complete with $295,000 worth of cannabis plants, was brought undone by an Endeavour Energy tip-off.
Fairfield
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A licenced electrician used his access to the grid and technical knowledge to set up a ‘sophisticated” cannabis growhouse in Sydney’s southwest.
Justin Beau Borg, 32, of Horsley Park, fronted Fairfield Local Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to cultivating an estimated $295,000 worth of cannabis plants, along with drug possession.
Agreed facts tendered to court reveal how Borg took advantage of his privilege as an level two electrician to tap into the grid to drain the enormous amount of electricity needed and set up the growhouse.
The drug premises was set up at 132 Burley Rd, where Borg lives, described in court documents as a rural property with a small house and multiple sheds.
On May 25, Endeavour Energy were following up on power issues and surges and traced the concerns to Borg’s home, which was drawing a large amount of power from the grid.
The technicians tipped off NSW Police, which by June 2 had obtained a warrant and were waiting outside the property for Borg to arrive.
When he rocked up in a Hyundai iLoad van they pounced, detaining him while they searched the property.
There, they found 59 cannabis plants, with an estimated street value of $295,000, along with a sophisticated hydroponic set up, in which each plant was capable of being watered individually.
Typically, police noted in the agreed facts, hydroponic setups are designed to water all the plants at once.
Books on how to grow cannabis, including “The Growers Handbook” and “Beyond Buds, Next Generation. Cannabis Concentrates, Extracts and Marijuana Infusions” were also found by police.
Two sophisticated electrical bypasses were located in the property, one of which was powering the hydroponic set-up.
Magistrate Stuart Devine ordered a sentencing assessment report with Borg to be sentenced on October 17.
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