Four charged over FNQ Cannabis drug labs,64 plants

[Frazz]

 

February 20, 2008 - 4:36PM

 

Four people have been charged with drug offences after police discovered three sophisticated hydroponic cannabis labs in far north Queensland.

 

The labs were found at East Trinity, Palm Cove and Smithfield, police said.

 

They were believed to have been part of an organised syndicate based around large-scale cannabis production.

 

One lab, protected by a high-tech surveillance system, was found in a shed at an East Trinity slipway.

 

Police allegedly found 64 "high quality" cannabis plants, most of which were ready for harvesting, plus 17kg of cannabis heads in a drying room.

 

The lab at Palm Cove allegedly housed 16 mature plants weighing 9kg and 200g of cannabis.

 

A Customs drug detection dog led police to the last lab at Smithfield, police said.

 

Described as a a "secret bunker" under the house, the lab allegedly contained a small quantity of cannabis and hydroponics equipment.

 

About $50,000 in cash was also seized from the properties and was being treated as tainted property.

 

A 49-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman, both from Palm Cove, a 36-year-old Smithfield man and a 53-year-old Whitfield man were charged with trafficking in cannabis and other drug charges.

 

All four appeared in Cairns Magistrates Court today and were granted bail to reappear on May 16.

 

Author: AAP

Date: February 20, 2008

Source:Brisbane Times http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/queen...3467164639.html

Copyright: Brisbane Times

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WTF State Cops using Customs dogs to sniff them out , thats something disturbinly new isnt it ... such excellent plants too ...

 

[hano]

damn nice plants wish i coulda helped them out with a quick havest, would love to know how they grew them so well mine died the other day DAMN IT . Edited February 20, 2008 by Frazzle

[Pam]

Damn Frazz! I can see at least a dozen lights! Nice setup...wonder what the power bills looked like...

Well maybe for the best that I didn't finish digging under the garage anyway.

[pipeman]

WTF State Cops using Customs dogs to sniff them out , thats something disturbinly new isnt it ...

 

seems a bit unlikely to me. Like what do they do walk the dog through the streets until it smells a cannabis crop?

 

maybe its bullshit they planted in the news to cover up the fact they have an informant.

[failure]

Cannabis labs... well, I guess it kind of, sort of...maybe sounds more evil when you use the word "lab", since people start thinking of meth.

 

Pretty good spin tactics there.

[Indycar]

AFP, Customs and other departments have worked jointly for as long as i can remember...

 

But like failure said, the bloody spin they put on it.

"sophisticated hydroponic cannabis labs"

 

"organised syndicate based around large-scale cannabis production"

 

"protected by a high-tech surveillance system"

 

"secret bunker"

 

"tainted property"

 

Brisbane Times does indeed have a journo that seems to have mastered spin-doctoring.