Basketball star Andrew Bogut live-tweets Carrum Downs drug raid
Australian NBA star Andrew Bogut has watched a police drug raid unfold before his very eyes, with armed officers swarming a property in Melbourne’s south this morning.
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Police have busted a major cannabis operation seizing thousands of plants from several factories that had been converted into growhouses.
The operation was revealed by Australian Boomers star Andrew Bogut, who owns a basketball centre, next to a property that was raided in Carrum Downs. It is believed hundreds of plants were found at that Tova Rd factory.
Seven people from an organised crime gang were arrested in the coordinated raids at eight different addresses across Melbourne’s south east.
Bogut tweeted an image of more than 10 heavily armed police in a carpark with a high black fence this morning.
https://t.co/w8NVBfoqlK pic.twitter.com/caUUqQHbEJ
— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) July 16, 2019
Bogut initially believed the trucks were delivering his belongings, which he had packed up from his recent stint with NBA giant Golden State Warriors.
But he quickly became aware that it was a police operation when they put ladders on his side of the property to scale the fence between two factories.
Bogut’s factory, on Tova Rd, has been converted in to a private basketball court training facility and offices.
It is believed new tenants moved into the property within the last six months, but they were rarely seen at the factory.
The Clandestine Laboratory Squad, along with detectives from Crime Command, Southern Metro Region and Eastern Region, plus members of the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force executed eight warrants at commercial and residential premises from 6am this morning as part of Operation Escapist.
Four men and three women were arrested and will now be interviewed by police.
Several significant hydroponic cannabis set-ups were located within factory buildings, with some of those holding approximately 1000 plants.
Drug manufacturing equipment, cocaine and cash were also located and seized during the raids.
Detective Acting Superintendent Craig Darlow, of the Victoria Police Crime Command Serious and Organised Crime Division, said today’s results were significant for Melbourne.
“Drug manufacture, trafficking and use in the Victorian community continues to be a major concern for police,” he said.
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“Operations like this highlight the links that drugs have to organised crime, plus we are seeing time and time again that many of our most violent crimes such as homicides and shootings have their roots in the drug trade.
“The hydros that have been located today are absolutely on the larger end of the scale and we’re looking at seizing several thousand plants as part of this operation.
“Today’s result is incredibly pleasing for police and comes as a result of a lot of work put in not only by Victoria Police, but through working with our partner agencies.”
Anyone with information about illegal drug trafficking is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au