Cannabis gang smashed after Rhodes, Schofields dawn raids

Just a stone’s throw from the train station, it appeared to be a typical suburban property. But police allege it was in fact housing a major cannabis production facility.

Police have smashed an alleged multimillion-dollar statewide cannabis operation and arrested its alleged kingpin following a series of raids.

The huge haul comes after detectives had been hot on the trail of the group, alleged to be foreign visa holders, earlier this year.

Officers on Tuesday seized 2080 plants at a property on Kerry Road, Schofields in a dawn raid.

Police say the plants have a street value of nearly $6 million.

This is in addition to 2379 plants, worth $7 million, seized following a raid near Campbelltown last month.

The haul seized at Schofields today.

Five men, aged between 29 and 49, remain before the courts after being charged when officers seized the Campbelltown plants.

A 28-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday morning in a dawn raid at a Rhodes unit.

Police allege he directed the activities of the group.

He has been charged with two counts each of cultivating a large commercial quantity of cannabis and enhanced indoor cultivation, three of use electricity without authority and one of knowingly directing the criminal group.

Police allege the man ran the group from a Rhodes unit and was involved in the large scale cultivation and supply of cannabis across the state.

Several people were arrested at the semirural property today.

Cannabis plants found at the property

He was refused bail to appear at Burwood Local Court on Tuesday.

Officers in last month’s bust had been focusing on the supply of the drug around Sydney before the investigation expanded and led them to include all of NSW.

A short time after the 28-year-old’s arrest on Tuesday officers swarmed on a semirural property in Schofields where they allegedly located the thousands of plants.

Three people are due to front court at Blacktown tomorrow.

Two men, Wei Yin Chen, 24, and Han Syen Teoh, 29, as well as a 39-year-old woman, Sin Keaw Ooi, were hit with a string of charges at Riverstone Police Station on Tuesday.

They have been charged with cultivating a large commercial quantity of cannabis, supplying prohibited drugs, participating in a criminal group and using electricity without authority.

Police allege the group cultivated the crop at a property on Kerry Rd, Schofields, between January and March this year.

The group is also alleged to have illegally tapped into electricity in order to maintain the crop, court documents read.

The trio were excused from appearing on screen during a brief mention at Blacktown Local Court on Wednesday. They will return to court in May.

Police said today they were working with the Department of Home Affairs in a bid to figure out the visa status of the group.

They are due to front Blacktown Local Court tomorrow.