Aerial raids clear $8m cannabis crop from SW

[kiwi_farmer]

GEORGIA LONEY

28th February 2009, 10:45 WST

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?Men...ontentID=127245

‘The West Australian’ is a trademark of West Australian Newspapers Limited 2008. All Rights Reserved

 

 

Detectives have seized more than $8 million worth of cannabis plants from hidden plantations throughout the South-West after a week-long series of aerial raids.

 

Det-Sgt. Paul Ford said police seized about 2800 plants from 100 sites stretching from Pemberton to Busselton as part of the “Tall Timbers” operation.

 

The haul was on top of more than 3000 plants taken from covert plantations before Christmas in the first phase of the operation.

 

Police officers were winched from helicopters into dense bush to rip up and bag the plants, which were well established, Det-Sgt Ford said.

 

“They were some of the biggest plants I’ve ever seen,” he said.

 

“We’re talking about 100 sites in fairly thick, high, 4m scrub.”

 

The plants would be disposed of but “massive amounts of security” were needed at the police station as part of the operation, which has now wound up, he said.

 

A 61-year-old man appeared in Busselton Magistrate’s Court last week on two counts of cultivating the drug with intent to sell or supply and two counts of possession of cannabis to sell or supply.

 

Police allege he had 2.5kg of cannabis as well as plants.

 

The man was not required to enter a plea and was remanded on $10,000 bail to seek legal advice.

 

More than 30 police from the region carried out the latest operation over five days from February 16 to 20.

[kev.au]

What kinda jail time would he be looking at? gezz

[bighit]

it seems the police is doing allot of bust lately

[zip01]

Funny how these blokes trying to make some cash go to the lockup for a year or two, yet when pharmacists sell twice the average amount of Sudafed a regular pharmacy sells annually in two weeks, they get a $3000 fine - I kid you not, this actually happened a few years ago. What makes them any better than people that grow pot to make a bit of extra cash?

[Falotney]

Funny how these blokes trying to make some cash go to the lockup for a year or two, yet when pharmacists sell twice the average amount of Sudafed a regular pharmacy sells annually in two weeks, they get a $3000 fine - I kid you not, this actually happened a few years ago. What makes them any better than people that grow pot to make a bit of extra cash?

 

Good point. I saw a story on 60 minutes where the bikies would do so called 'Eastern coastal runs', visiting all these chemists buying couple of bottles of cough medicnies at a time that contained Sudafed for making E's.

 

A provention system has been placed where the buyer is registered into a system once he makes a purchase shared by all the pharmacies, so he cannot make another purchase from another store.

But in the story of 60minutes showed the system is not being used, hence multiple purchase still available.

 

I agree with you $3000 isn't much of a punishment.

I know increasing the punishment to jail time would def. make certain the system would be properly used.