600 plants seized in drug raids

MORE than 600 cannabis plants are off the streets of Pakenham after two police raids in the last month.
Police executed a warrant to raid a Pakenham property last week and discovered a sophisticated hydroponic set-up.
Police stormed the residential property at 8.30pm on Tuesday 7 May and seized 198 mature cannabis plants in the raid.
Acting Senior Sergeant Pat McGavigan said a 41-year-old man tried to flee from police but was caught and arrested.
The Springvale man did not live at the property and police allege he was using the house to grow the cannabis plants.
“This is over and above the 458 plants seized from a residential property on 16 April,” Acting Sen Sgt McGavigan said.
“In less than a month, that is over 600 cannabis plants that won’t be hitting the streets. It is good work by the Pakenham Tasking Unit.”
Police also arrested two Richmond men, aged in their twenties, following a raid on a home in Gobbo Place Pakenham on Tuesday 16 April.
More than 400 plants were seized from the 12-room house, worth an estimated $1.6 million.
It was believed a large drug syndicate was behind the marijuana growing operation.
After the April raid Sergeant Darren Shaw of the Pro-active Crime Tasking Unit said grow houses were an ongoing problem and were being uncovered by police “all the time”.
Acting Sen Sgt McGavigan said he did not believe the two grow houses were linked.
Anyone with information about drug crimes should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.