Geelong's backyard drug crops exposed (+ gallery)

[Indycar]

Geelong's backyard drug crops exposed (+ gallery)

 

Julie McNamara

 

12May08

 

THESE pictures tell the real story of Geelong's lucrative drug trade - and they could have been taken inside any home in your street.

 

Click here for the gallery

 

All of the photographs were taken in the last 18 months during search warrants executed by Geelong's Regional Response Unit (RRU).

 

The team carries out about 100 warrants per year, 90 per cent of them drug-related.

 

It takes a lot to shock members of this unit. They never know what they will come across when they carry out a warrant.

 

There are often loaded weapons inside the homes and they know that any bedroom door could be hiding a lush - and lucrative - marijuana crop.

 

The unit's Sgt Mick Ryan said he had found marijuana crops harvested by everyone from an octogenarian World War II veteran to suburban mums and dads and trendy 20-somethings.

 

"And there is no distinction between more affluent and cheaper suburbs," he said.

 

"This could be happening on any suburban street. This could be your neighbour."

 

Sgt Ryan said homes generally appeared normal from the outside and those cultivating or producing illicit drugs often became clever at disguising their activities.

 

"Often the homes are not occupied at all but they make it look like the house is," he said.

 

Sgt Ryan said marijuana cultivators generally left the lounge and living areas as normal and used bedrooms or sheds to grow the addictive drug.

 

He estimated police had carried out about 10 warrants on homes growing marijuana crops in the Geelong region this year.

 

"It (marijuana) is wall-to-wall cash. The profits are big, the market is readily accessible. the market is there," he said.

 

"A house with two rooms of cannabis can bring in thousands (of dollars) for the grower."

 

He said cannabis was the most lucrative for crooks because they could control its production, whereas they had to source heroin or amphetamines from another supplier.

 

"Cannabis may seem to be the most harmless drug but it is a big cash crop and is linked to organised crime," he said.

 

He said the RRU was focused on trying to remove drug suppliers rather than the users.

 

Sgt Ryan said the unit worked differently to most police units.

 

Much of its information came as a result of anonymous tip-offs through CrimeStoppers and he urged everyone to help police by reporting any suspicious activity.

 

"A lot of the information comes from neighbours," he said.

 

Things to look out for include a lack of activity at the house, strange smells, people visiting the house at odd hours, cars in the street late at night and strange noises.

 

"If you get up close to a house where cannabis is being cultivated it will hum from all the transformers," he said.

 

Anyone wanting to report suspicious activity should telephone CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.

Source: http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/

[brick]

"Cannabis may seem to be the most harmless drug but it is a big cash crop and is linked to organised crime," he said.

 

He said the RRU was focused on trying to remove drug suppliers rather than the users.

 

 

There is your perfectly good reason for decriminalisation.

[Reverend]

Very nice scrog.

[nugget]

Think there is a 'report' about this tonight on Today Tonight, at least in Tas

 

 

[WantDaChronic]

i just looked at all those pics and i dont think any of the people busted for growing pot were commercial growers for starters alot of the gardens look crap, but then the general size of the room dictates how much can be pulled and it doesnt look like many of them would pull more than a pound over what they needed

[Stoney]

i agree with WDC

 

for instance that noice looking scrog what the fuck is with all the burnt leaves looks like a massive over fert to me and i dont see a commercial grower making that sort of a mistake

 

looks like another police beat up to me

 

cheerz

[CitizenD]

used bedrooms or sheds to grow the addictive drug.

 

Oh really?

[Rose Gardener]

"If you get up close to a house where cannabis is being cultivated it will hum from all the transformers," he said.

 

I have never ever ever heard a house hum!

 

I have been in a lot of places where a LOT of electricity is used too, and still I have not heard a building of ANY description HUM!

 

~Rose.

[Radic]

CrimeStoppers yer give em a call and tell dem bout the major powder movers in au

DHA

get the address from the phone book

 

also you can dob yah self in and put tomarto in yah grow room

have a solisitor on hand and film it all

sue the cops

they wont come back den

[Rocker]

It just proves how out of sync the cops and politicians are.

 

People are growing this stuff either because there is a demand for it or the growers themselves want it.

 

I get so sick of the downright lies the police tell over and over.

 

There are plenty of users in the police force, politicians and their ilk.