Nine arrested as police raid cannabis grow houses across Canberra
Police searched 15 properties across the Australian Capital Territory and seized 1,586 cannabis plants, about 70 kg of dried cannabis, cash and six vehicles. Nine people were charged with criminal-group and drug offences in what police called their largest ever operation against grow houses.
🇦🇺 Australian Capital Territory · Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- Arrested
- 9
- Cannabis
- 70 kg
Police searched 15 properties across the region in one week, seizing about 70 kilograms of dried cannabis, 1,586 cannabis plants, $86,000 in cash and six vehicles.[1] Seven people aged 33 to 55 were arrested on Monday and two more, aged 34 and 44, on Tuesday; all nine were charged with participating in a criminal group and various drug cultivation, trafficking and other offences.[1] Five of those arrested were unlawful non-citizens.[1]
The operation brought together ACT Policing with Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force personnel, and information from the investigation led NSW police to a grow house in Jerrabomberra.[1] Detective Acting Inspector Mark Battye, of the drugs and organised crime team, said the raids had hit an organised crime group behind large-scale commercial cannabis cultivation.[1] “This is the largest operation on grow houses we’ve ever conducted,” he said.[1]
Police said most of the homes used as grow houses were privately rented through online platforms without property managers.[1] They urged landlords to check identity documents and inspect rental properties regularly, pointing to warning signs such as tenants avoiding inspections, paying months of rent in advance or offering above the asking price.[1]
Sources
- Nine held in Canberra cannabis crackdown. Cannabis Law Report.