$6m marijuana crop growing in Sydney suburb

[boulder]

A COMMERCIAL cannabis operation worth a staggering $6.3 million was uncovered by firefighters on Friday night during a house fire in Pennant Hills.

 

It is believed the fire started as a result of an electrical fault relating to the sophisticated lighting and hydroponic system used to cultivate the crop.

 

Police described the haul, which included more than 1300 plants and a large quantity of loose plant leaves, as one of the biggest ever found in western Sydney.

 

"This would be one of the biggest we've found so far; we've only recently started to increase our investigations in regards to hydroponics," Drug Squad Det Sgt Steve Nealon said.

 

"People don't think there's much money involved with cannabis when compared to harder drugs. But when you can yield $5000 from one plant . . . it's a lot of money."

 

Firefighters were called to the home at 6pm on Friday. Once the fire was under control, firefighters alerted police and a team of Drug Squad detectives sealed off the area.

 

Detectives are yet to charge anyone in connection with the find, but they do have some leads. The Pennant Hills Rd home, which has been partially destroyed by the fire, was being rented out to tenants at the time of the fire.

 

The whole lower half of the home was taken up with plants in various stages of growth, from seedlings through to mature plants and cultivated leaf.

 

Police believe the occupants of the home fled when they failed to put out the fire, leaping a nearby fence and dropping a plastic garbage bag filled with cannabis leaf and electricity bills for the property totalling $900.

 

Police said the sophisticated operation included $40,000 worth of hydroponic equipment and lighting, supplies of plastic bags and commercial scales.

 

Det Sgt Nealon, who also heads the cannabis unit, said hydroponic plants fetched two to three times the street value of other plants.

 

"Hydroponic methods accelerate the growth of the plant and increase the yield," he said.

 

"With the indoor plants you can harvest just about everything.

 

"A mature hydro plant can fetch an estimated $5000."

 

Police investigations into the cannabis operation are continuing.

 

Daily Telegraph

[Tom]

A mature hydro plant worth $5,000? If you could get that much mj off one plant you would only need to grow one per crop, either that or it's very expensive to buy in NSW, here in Tas they value the plants at $1,000.

 

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[pipeman]

well that would be about a pound a plant. possible I suppose if you really wanted to. More likely they were growing sog style and had little more than an ounce per plant.

 

And $40,000 worth of equipment? yeah right.

 

They said there was "cultivated leaf" like they don't know that this is essentially the by-product of growing what you really want. I'd guess those guys got away with all their cash and pounds of bud. Good luck not getting caught.

[Tom]

Their own stupid fault really, they shouldn't have overloaded the electrical wiring, they probably just got too greedy.

 

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[Mr Putard]

more fuel for the propaganda wagon? shit...I hate hearing this crap...really... They would have made more money investing their setup costs with a financial advisor or a term deposit at the bank... blah.. Edited May 25, 2003 by Mr Putard

[sols]

g'day; if you consider that they value mj at approx $20 per gram, then $5000 is very achievable from 1 plant.

1gm of leaf is same penalty and value as 1gm of buds.

1 seedling is valued as a $2000 plant in NSW.

[Tom]

g'day; if you consider that they value mj at approx $20 per gram, then $5000 is very achievable from 1 plant.

1gm of leaf is same penalty and value as 1gm of buds.

1 seedling is valued as a $2000 plant in NSW.

Yeah, I was going by the price of a pound, I should have thought that the cops would base it on the most expensive way to buy mj, even though there was no mention of foil, only bags, or do they still use foil in Sydney?.

 

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[Mr Putard]

that's still about 8 ounces dry off one plant?? phew... and they got $40,000 equipment in the house? this stuff was still growing? sheez must have had a few air cons.... I would've thought that that amount of gear would produce too much heat for one house...

[Tom]

that's still about 8 ounces dry off one plant?? phew... and they got $40,000 equipment in the house? this stuff was still growing? sheez must have had a few air cons.... I would've thought that that amount of gear would produce too much heat for one house...

It didn't seem to worry them too much about which method they used to burn it down, they must have been a right bunch of dickheads. :: Was probably their first crop, wonder if they planned for the smell?

 

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[Dirty_Deed]

fuck that...cops always overvalue plants because they weigh the fucking roots and all....They weigh it usually wet in such instances and I reckon that's just wrong.....A mj plant of even 4ft stature when dried overall, will be valued at 5grand or over. I reckon they should make cops dry and cure plants, get rid of the leaf, then value them by the gram. And who the fuck buys leaf??? Everyone throw it away, though some make hash oil out of it I guess, but eh.....

 

Peace Out

 

Dirty Deed