NSW: Police seize record cannabis haul, 2.5 tonnes worth $35m

AAP General News (Australia)
04-08-2004
NSW: Police seize record cannabis haul, 2.5 tonnes worth $35m

SYDNEY, April 8 AAP - Police have uncovered 2.5 tonnes of dried cannabis worth an estimated
$35 million at a property in western NSW - the state's biggest ever haul of the drug.

Drug squad detectives raided a private property at Jacks Creek, near Narrabri, at dawn
today and arrested 16 people.

More than 70 officers attached to Strike Force Artie found the haul, which was being
air dried, in a large drying shed and in the open.

Police initially estimated the haul at about one tonne, worth $14 million, but the
actual amount was much more.

Drug Squad commander Superintendent Paul Jones said the seizure was the largest ever in NSW.

It was a huge achievement for the squad, which had been running about 10 strike forces
into the cannabis problem across the state, netting about 46,000 plants with a street
value of about $125 million.

"My detectives, as well as police from Western Region, stopped this enormous amount
of cannabis which would have hit the streets of Sydney within the space of a few weeks,"

Supt Jones said.

"This brings almost a close to the season in terms of cannabis this year."

Supt Jones said police also searched a property at Connells Point, in Sydney's south,
where another man was arrested and a further 9kg of cannabis was seized.

Interviews were continuing and charges were expected to be laid for supplying a large
commercial quantity of prohibited drug and cultivating a large commercial quantity of
prohibited drug.

A weapon, believed to be a gun, was also seized at the property.

"These arrests will make a significant impact on the supply of cannabis in NSW," Supt Jones said.

The arrests were the culmination of a two-month investigation.

Several people arrested on the western NSW property were believed to be "seasonal workers",
Supt Jones said.

Earlier this week, 10 people faced court over a 600kg cannabis haul with a street value
of more than $8.5 million.

Police raided the property near Lithgow, in the state's central west, early Monday
where they seized 607kg of mature cannabis plants.

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KEYWORD: CANNABIS LEAD

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