$500,000 DOPE BUST: Houses full of hooch

[Conan Troutman]

$500,000 DOPE BUST: Houses full of hooch

Karen Matthews

April 23rd, 2009

CANNABIS plants worth more than $500,000 have been seized following police raids on two hydroponic houses in Highton and Rippleside.

The haul, which consisted of 175 plants in various stages of growth, including 18 mature plants, is believed to be the biggest crop ever seized from hydro-houses in Geelong.

Leading Senior Constable Andrew Osborne, of Geelong Regional Response Unit, said police executed a drugs search warrant on a house in Bruthen Rd, Highton, about 1.30pm on Tuesday.

He said the entire house had been turned into a massive hydroponic system containing 159 plants in various stages of growth.

The officer said two bedrooms each contained six mature plants bearing head while a further 15 plants were found in a third bedroom.

``The lounge room contained 19 plants, each about 184 centimetres in height, and the bathroom, a further 113 plants ranging from small to medium height,'' he said.

``The haul has an estimated street value of more than $500,000.''

Sen-Constable Osborne said that from information received police then executed a further search warrant on a house in St David's St, Rippleside.

``There police found three bedrooms had been set-up with hydroponic systems and a further 16 plants with an estimated street value of $60,000,'' he said.

``Both houses had been fitted out with water, heating and lighting and ventilation consisted of large air filters in the ceilings.

``Timing systems were hooked up to television and lighting in both houses and the electricity supplies had been by-passed.''

Yesterday Buja Mustafar, 21, and Bekim Rexhepi, 35, both of Nicholson Cres, Bell Park, appeared in Geelong Magistrates' Court charged with cultivating and trafficking a commercial quantity of cannabis.

Both men have also been charged with theft of power and other offences.

No application was made for bail and both were remanded in custody.

Mr Mustafar will reappear at Geelong Magistrates' Court for a bail application hearing on Wednesday.

Mr Rexhepi was remanded in custody to appear for a committal mention on May 22.

@$5000 a lb (yes, inflated estimate) weight roughly werks out to ~50kgs

on 148 plants...woulda been a dang stinky house.

[Neoshaman]

@$5000 a lb (yes, inflated estimate) weight roughly werks out to ~50kgs

on 148 plants...woulda been a dang stinky house.

n when you look at it further n consider they would be weighing it with leaf n stems attached and then a potential loss in drying of 75% of that left over weight hmmmmmm complete and utter bullshit over estimation of value , like ok the guys got busted 90% of commercially grown cannabis is crap anyway so no great loss but for fuck sake why do these wanker cops have to hyper inflate the value of their busts no matter what bullshit they dribble about dents in the supply chain they are not achieving anything except wasting tax payer funds that could be spent on a myriad of other causes which are far more beneficial to society

[Chiral]

I remember a story in the papers in England when I lived over there that a house got busted with about 200 plants all growing in different rooms at various stages...the cops got called to a domestic disturbance across from the house and when leaving one of the constables noticed that only one house across the street didn't have any snow on the roof...how could this be it it's freezing and been snowing for weeks... they get a warrant and busted the house and all the weed..fucking make's me laugh when ever I remember reading that story.

H.

[Teotzlcoatl]

I don't see that being very funny... but ya... they should have thought about that one.

[Neoshaman]

they get a warrant and busted the house and all the weed..fucking make's me laugh when ever I remember reading that story.

H.

i thought it was funnier when they raided the guy for the pizza oven recently cause they thought he had a setup

[kenny]

That's a funny story Hunab. Not for the growers, but you can imagine cops getting promoted to detective for such 'keen observational senses'

Also, yes, inflated stats are the hallmark of a failing drug war. All that matters to them is that the general public think they are making huge seizures. No doubt a few guys will get promoted for this. All the while the cooks in the meth lab down the street are laughing their asses off.

[Rizla]

The haul, which consisted of 175 plants in various stages of growth, including 18 mature plants, is believed to be the biggest crop ever seized from hydro-houses in Geelong.

Wow! 18 mature plants? Get Hollywood on the phone!

[Chiral]

18 mature plants...PPPFFFTTTT....yes lets get the Guinness book of world records as well ...