Multi-million dollar cannabis ring smashed

[Mushaman]

Multi-million dollar cannabis ring smashed

From: AAP

By Jamie Duncan and Melissa Jenkins

 

November 11, 2005

 

 

VICTORIAN POLICE said they had dismantled a sophisticated multi-million dollar cannabis ring operating from an orchard in Melbourne's outer west.

Nine people were arrested, drugs seized and more than $3 million in assets, including six houses, two cars and a significant amount of cash, had been confiscated, police said.

 

Raids early today involving about 70 police, including drug squad detectives, on several properties followed an eight-month operation.

 

One raided property had booby trapped the cannabis crop with firearms.

 

Seven men appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court and were remanded to reappear in the same court for a filing hearing on Monday.

 

Malcolm Browne-Kerr, 61, of Toolern Vale; Joseph Reivers, 26, of Taylors Hill; Antonio Carnovale, 56, of Deer Park, George Georgeallis, 43, of Coimadai and Paul Reivers, 56, of Deer Park are each charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of cannabis.

 

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Paul Reivers also is charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of amphetamines.

 

John Falzon, 53, of Mount Wallace is charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of cannabis.

 

None applied for bail.

 

A police spokeswoman said a 28-year-old man, of Coimadai, and a 57-year-old woman, of Melton South, would be charged on summons with various drug offences.

 

The hub of the operation was the Big Apple Tourist Orchard in Bacchus Marsh, where police alleged cannabis seedlings were propagated before being sent to other locations for cultivation, drug squad Detective Inspector Bob Hill said.

 

Other properties were raided at Deer Park, Melton South, Darley, Toolern Vale, Coimadai and Taylors Hill - all in Melbourne's outer west - and one at Mount Wallace, near Ballarat.

 

A maturing cannabis crop at one address was booby-trapped with four firearms, Det Hill said.

 

He said police seized more than 800 mature cannabis plants, about 4.5kg of dried cannabis, a small amount of amphetamines and a significant amount of cash.

 

"I believe that we have caused a significant disruption to the cannabis cultivation and trafficking here in the state of Victoria.

 

"This is a multi-million dollar business," Det Hill said.

 

He said police did not regard cannabis as a soft drug.

 

"The cannabis that's been cultivated hydroponically in this state and around Australia is potent.

 

"It's far more potent than it was years ago and it's causing significant concerns to the community.

 

"We have many people suffering from many psychological disorders as a consequence of the cannabis that's now cultivated in this state."

 

Gotta love Det. Hill and his expert opinion trotted out to the press .. be fun to get in there and pop a few 'difficult' questions ... :mellow: dangerous tho

 

I know Bacchius Marsh but can't place it .. :scratchin

[mull]

I bet some of them broke Dysyfers first rule of grow club

Secondly, the tall poppy, neighbours getting jealous thing perhaps.. lotta assets etc..

 

Put a slight ding in the crissy cheer for melb no doubt too

[Mushaman]

Put a slight ding in the crissy cheer for melb no doubt too sad.gif

 

yep, bet you're right ..

 

I reckon sparcity of bud and high prices at christmas time in Sydney, if not all of Australia is almost an institution .... they do it on purpose ..

[Buddy]

Yeah, things are crook in Muswelbrook and there's no work in Bourke.....it makes me tempted to put some of my over assumulated stash on the market to helpout

 

A lot of the stuff for sale in Sydney and environs at the moment is mostly crap, I had a friend show me half a baggy he bought from Western Sydney that consisted mainly of chopped up stalks and leaf. I placed some in my vape for him to try and it didnt do much for him apart from a headache.

 

I often wonder if some of these bust stories are invented by the police to deter people from setting up commercial grows. :scratchin

[dsyfer]

Someone rolled over on them all big time, wonder what sort of a deal that guy got? I like the 'central seed propagation hub', they want it to sound like 'the evil empire was all run out of Dr Evil's secret cave lair' secretly breeding the worlds most potent and deadly strain of dope possible.

[Mushaman]

Someone rolled over on them all big time, wonder what sort of a deal that guy got? I like the 'central seed propagation hub', they want it to sound like 'the evil empire was all run out of Dr Evil's secret cave lair' secretly breeding the worlds most potent and deadly strain of dope possible.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeh and in this case Preparation H stands for Hemp or Hash MUhahahaha

[WantDaChronic]

"This is a multi-million dollar business," Det Hill said.

 

He said police did not regard cannabis as a soft drug.

 

"The cannabis that's been cultivated hydroponically in this state and around Australia is potent.

 

"It's far more potent than it was years ago and it's causing significant concerns to the community.

 

"We have many people suffering from many psychological disorders as a consequence of the cannabis that's now cultivated in this state."

 

i agree that its a multi-million dollar business, but only if you round up every dealer with all their stashes and price it at $20 a gram sure you get the odd group growing a few thousand plants in the bush who's crop has the potential to be worth millions but chances are they'll offload the pot really cheaply to get rid of it and the millions of dollars start appearing once the pot has changed hands a few times...

 

here i am thinking that the world thought of pot as a soft drug because its the only one that hasnt caused any deaths or an overdose for that matter?

 

i agree that hydroponically grown pot is more potent, mainly because growers dont fuck around with shit genetics because of the lower yields compared to growing outdoors, that and wind and rain dont knock off resin....

 

yes pot is more potent, its called selective breeding dumbass and farmers have done it for many years and even relied on scientists to develop strains of corn, tomatoes, etc. that are faster growing, higher yielding and easier to transport without damage....

 

bet those phycological disorders were brought on due to a cocktail of drugs, not marijuana alone OR if it was marijuana alone, that person already had a 50/50 chance of getting mentally screwed in the first place and pot seems to level those people out anyways

 

you really have to wonder what the police know about marijuana, i think they should do a random study at all police stations asking various questions about marijuana and see if they pass the test or not, i bet there would be atleast a 90% failure rate if the information in the study was correct....