Boondooma drug bust: Seven men charged after police seize $40m worth of marijuana at South Burnett property

Police claim a site that produced hundreds of kilograms of marijuana in just a few months was part of a much larger drug ring with overseas connections, with seven men now charged over the Burnett operation. FULL UPDATE:

An alleged major drug operation and nearly $40 million worth of marijuana uncovered on a remote South Burnett property is now believed to be linked to an organised crime syndicate, with police describing the site as one of the largest ever seen in Queensland.

Police raided a former cattle station at Boondooma at about 6am Friday, where officers allegedly found about 15,680 marijuana plants and another 50kg dried marijuana with a combined estimated street value of $39.9 million.

Drug and Serious Crime Group Detective Inspector Brad Phelps said the huge marijuana supply was likely going to be distributed through much of Australia, with the Burnett site suspected as being just one in a much larger operation.

Detective Inspector Brad Phelps speaking at the press conference on a massive drug bust on a South Burnett property on Monday, August 8. Photo: contributed

“Certainly it would appear that this is part of a very large organised crime syndicate, and this may be one tentacle of that syndicate,” he said.

“Our investigations are ongoing, but we suspect that a lot of profits and proceeds from this were being sent overseas.”

Police have allegedly discovered thousands of marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $39.9m at a remote South Burnett property, with seven men now in custody. Photo: Queensland Police Service

The investigation into the alleged drug operation began in July after police intercepted a vehicle carrying about 200kg of processed marijuana on the Warrego Highway at Helidon on the afternoon of July 18.

Detective Inspector Phelps said the initial bust eventually led to the Boondooma raid, where officers discovered and quickly dismantled one of the largest marijuana production sites ever seen in the state.

“It would appear this particular property was only purchased or acquired about six months ago,” he said.

“It would certainly have taken some time to set up and then to start yielding the product.

“There was certainly a substantial amount of effort gone into site selection, clearing the property, and establishing all the relevant equipment to produce this massive amount of (marijuana).”

Police will allege the site’s hydroponic system centred around a pool of water mixed with chemicals and fertilisers, from which the mixture was then pumped into the “growing igloos” stationed along the property, enabling those involved to harvest three or four crops of the drug each year.

All marijuana plants seized in the raid have since been destroyed and the hydroponic equipment dismantled.

Police have allegedly discovered thousands of marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $39.9m at a remote South Burnett property, with seven men now in custody. Photo: Queensland Police Service

Detective Inspector Phelps said a drug bust of this scale should send a clear message to criminals that the production and trafficking of marijuana and any other drug would not be tolerated by police or the wider community.

“The illicit funds that are generated through the production, distribution, and trafficking of (marijuana) are used by organised crime to fund other illicit activities, including the production of methylamphetamine and the trafficking of that drug, or weapons offences,” he said.

“Organised crime prey on the vulnerable, and there’s people out there in the community that are spending considerable amounts of money on cannabis and related products that could be better spent in the current tough economic climate on looking after their families or those around them.”

A group of seven men, aged 42, 46, 35, 41, 43, 40, and 36, have all been charged with one count each of producing a dangerous drug and possessing a dangerous drug in relation to the Boondooma bust.

They will be remanded in custody until they next appear in Murgon Magistrates Court on August 16.

Police have allegedly discovered thousands of marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $39.9m at a remote South Burnett property, with seven men now in custody. Photo: Queensland Police Service

Investigations are ongoing.

The raid comes just weeks after another remote part of the South Burnett became the centre of a huge unrelated drug case, with police alleging a Colombian national with links to a cartel helped build a “cocaine factory” in Durong that manufactured hundreds of kilos of the drug.

Nine people have since been charged, with two men’s proceedings being heard in Kingaroy Magistrates Court at this stage.

Originally published as Boondooma drug bust: Seven men charged after police seize $40m worth of marijuana at South Burnett property