Danny Kabos standing trial in the District Court for commercial drug trafficking

A man who was allegedly caught with over $20,000 of packaged drugs and a hydroponic cannabis set up has claimed they were not bound for sale.

A man who was allegedly caught with $20,000 of drugs and a hydroponic set up in a “relatively sophisticated” operation, a court has heard.

Danny Kabos, 36, is standing trial in the District Court this week after claiming that the large amount of cannabis found was not bound for sale.

Mr Kabos, of Para Hills West, pleaded not guilty to commercial drug trafficking but guilty to possessing a controlled drug.

He also pleaded not guilty to cultivating a controlled plant for sale but guilty to cultivating a controlled plant.

Kylie Benson, for the prosecution, told the court in her opening statement that police attended and searched a Mawson Lakes property in September 2020.

Danny Kabos is standing trial in the District Court for commercial drug trafficking and cultivating a controlled plant for sale. Photo: Facebook

They found five bags of dried cannabis in the bathroom – weighing between 306g and 437g – totalling 1.983kg.

The court heard dried cannabis was worth somewhere between just over $10,000 and around $24,500, depending on how it was sold.

The court heard one of the other bedrooms had been modified to grow cannabis hydroponically and three cannabis plants were found growing there.

In another bedroom, police found equipment to grow cannabis, including a bud stripper.

Ms Benson said the amount of cannabis found was too large a quantity to be entirely for one person’s own use.

“It is the prosecution case that the house was being used for the growing of cannabis plants as part of the accused’s business of cultivating and trafficking in cannabis,” Ms Benson said.

Ms Benson told the jury they would hear about and see CCTV footage of the “relatively sophisticated” set up of the growing operation from investigating officers.

Brittany Armstrong, for Mr Kabos, told the court her client accepted he possessed and cultivated the cannabis but there was no evidence that supported he was selling it.

“The issue in dispute in this matter can be narrowed down to whether or not the plants and the dried cannabis were intended for sale or being sold,” she said.

The trial before a jury continues.

Originally published as Danny Kabos standing trial in the District Court for commercial drug trafficking