Drug gangs hire 'crop sitters'

[nouseforaname]

Drug gangs hire 'crop sitters'

By Kara Lawrence

January 13, 2005

 

 

ORGANISED crime syndicates are opening franchises across suburban Sydney, renting out houses and installing "crop sitters" to tend to hydroponic cannabis plantations.

 

 

 

Raid ... police yesterday seized plants worth more than $600,000. Picture: Justin Lloyd

 

The burgeoning industry, imported from Canada about three years ago, has seen an increase in sophistication and yield of the illegal crops.

 

Police figures show that in 2004 in metropolitan Sydney, at least 70 "hydro houses" were busted by police, who are throwing more resources into tackling the trend.

 

Statewide, the number of detections of hydro houses last year increased more than six-fold from 2003.

 

At 2am yesterday, police stumbled across a sophisticated and elaborate hydro house in a quiet Ashfield street.

 

Upon entering the brick house in Elizabeth St, Ashfield, after an anonymous phone call from someone checking on the occupant's welfare, police discovered all four bedrooms packed with cannabis plants.

 

The rooms had white tarpaulin rigged to the windows, extractor fans to eradicate the smell and 1000W lighting rigged from the ceiling.

 

Large fertiliser containers were scattered in the kitchen and the bathroom, where an irrigation pump had been installed to water the plants.

 

To provide power for the cultivation, an electricity bypass had been rigged up so the house was stealing electricity from the street.

 

This method is used to avoid attracting the attention of authorities by large "spikes" on power bills.

 

Police are searching for an Australian man of Vietnamese descent who is believed to have tended the operation.

 

Ashfield police seized 305 plants with an estimated street value of more than $600,000.

 

South-East Asian Crime Squad commander Detective Superintendent Debbie Wallace said police were pursuing the leaders of syndicates, who were setting up the houses.

 

She said some "crop sitters" were acting individually but there were also criminal syndicates involved.

 

The sitters - who often received a cut of the profits - were attracted by the easy money but risked substantial fines and/or jail for their part in the cultivation.

 

She said New South Wales Police were working with police in Canada, who had said Australians of Vietnamese background had visited Vancouver and been trained how to run drug houses.

 

The Daily Telegraph

 

 

Author: news.com.au

Date: January 13, 2005

Source: The Australian

Copyright: © The Australianhttp://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,3600,409419,00.jpg

[jackfrost]

the asians are trying to take over the cannabis scene in melbourne and sydney, this has been going on for a while now.

 

They usually grow in buckets with coco - there end results are usually shit through.

 

The also try to harass hydroponics shops in these areas aswell.

 

Jack

[Pure]

he he yeah they love to "barter " for better prices on nutes ect friend of mine that works in a shop says they just think they deserve special prices

 

 

there was another big bust in chatswood today been waiting for the write up

[jackfrost]

a hydroponic shop in Sydney got busted about 6 months ago, after the asain gang bought 100K in equipment and paid for it in green.

 

The poor owner of the shop put product in car, drove around corner to sell product and the police busted him. He was a third generation owner of the shop, and a really top bloke.

 

How much of a setup was that to get rid of the owner. They carnt be trusted, with there scare tactics.

 

Needless to say asains now own the shop across the road.

 

Ive also got a friend who works in a hydro shop said the same as Pure - they always try to haggle you down, to the point like you just want to tell them to fuck off.

 

Jack

[WantDaChronic]

http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,3600,409419,00.jpg

 

now is it just me or is top cop on the left checking out the quality of the plant

 

he he yeah they love to "barter " for better prices on nutes ect friend of mine that works in a shop says they just think they deserve special prices

Ive also got a friend who works in a hydro shop said the same as Pure - they always try to haggle you down, to the point like you just want to tell them to fuck off.

 

what in the fuck makes them so special they deserve a discount? the closest hydro shop to me has a members program where u can get like 10% off i think but thats the only way to get a discount and i know if u whinged like a little bitch about not getting a discount otherwise, im quite sure u would be told to fuck off before the police where called on you :scratchin

 

a hydroponic shop in Sydney got busted about 6 months ago, after the asain gang bought 100K in equipment and paid for it in green.

 

The poor owner of the shop put product in car, drove around corner to sell product and the police busted him. He was a third generation owner of the shop, and a really top bloke.

 

How much of a setup was that to get rid of the owner. They carnt be trusted, with there scare tactics.

 

how much of a fool was he for taking 100k in pot instead of cash as it would have been a legit sale even if he knows that they are going to use it to grow pot, he doesnt have to refuse the sale...im quite certain that when u walk into a hydro shop the person working automatically knows what it is your growing

[Pickle]

edit

 

I take that back, it's an insult to people who have downs syndrome.

Edited January 13, 2005 by Pickle

[El_Badass]

They try to haggle for a cheaper price - my guess is their justification is that cuz they are buying large quantities that the owner should offer a discount to get return business. But they are buying large quantities to grow large amounts to sell for large sums of money. So if they're makin that kinda cash surely they can just pay the marked price and just shop around for the best price instead of harrassing shop owners like what they are said to do. It seems like it's never enough money, some people got to squeeze every last penny, tis truly like looking through the eyes of greed.