Police descend on sprawling $11m cannabis-growing operation near Bendigo

A sprawling cannabis farm has been busted in the state’s northwest and eight people have been arrested as police say the “sophisticated” drug operation was run by an Asian organised crime syndicate.

A sprawling $11m cannabis operation in the state’s northwest has been busted. Picture: Victoria Police

A sprawling $11m cannabis operation growing weed in huge greenhouses on farms in the state’s northwest has been busted.

Major drug squad investigators say eight people have been arrested after a series of raids, two of them on a property at Ducluse and another at Kamarooka, near Bendigo.

They say an Asian organised crime syndicate is behind the crops, from which 1.4 tonnes of cannabis was seized.

Special operations group officers were dropped from a police helicopter into the remote Ducluse property, on Bealiba South Rd, on Wednesday morning.

Purpose-built greenhouses were found to contain almost 1400 cannabis plants weighing about 800kg.

Large dams had been dug to help keep the plants watered, there was irrigation and pumps set up, as well as solar panels and a generator.

Two men who police say are Vietnamese nationals, aged 32 and 42, were charged with cultivating a large commercial quantity of cannabis.

They were remanded to appear at Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on March 6 next year.

On the same day, the SOG roped into a farm on the Bendigo-Tennyson Road in Kamarooka.

More than 1800 cannabis plants weighing 600kg were found in greenhouses at that property.

Electricity was connected to the grid but the meter was bypassed.

The Country Fire Authority burnt the plants on site.

Eight people have been arrested after a series of raids, two of them on a property at Ducluse and another at Kamarooka, near Bendigo. Picture: Victoria Police

Police said three Vietnamese nationals at the address, a 29-year-old man, a 31-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman, have been charged with cultivating a large commercial quantity of cannabis.

They will appear in Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on March 6.

An earlier warrant had been carried out on a Box St, Maryborough, address where a sophisticated hydroponic set-up and 250 plants were uncovered.

Three other Vietnamese nationals, a 47-year-old man, a 54-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman were all interviewed and released pending further inquiries, after another raid in Station Rd, Deer Park.

A hydroponic operation was found in the garage and about 250 cannabis plants seized.

The investigation was run by western region crime squad, the Brimbank divisional response unit and the Central Goldfields CIU.

Detective Supt Dave Cowan of the organised crime division said the arrest of eight people and the seizure of over $11m worth of illicit drugs was an “enormous win” for these regional communities.

“These properties are incredibly remote and there were a number of sophisticated measures in place in an attempt to remain undetected by authorities,” Supt Cowan said.

“Organised crime entities living in rural parts of the state who think their distance from the city affords them anonymity or impunity – you are sadly mistaken. You will be held to account no matter where you are. It is as simple as that.”