By Vanessa Chircop and Xavier Smerdon
POLICE seized almost 9000 cannabis plants after raiding 62 active crop houses last week, including an Altona Meadows home as part of the biggest drug bust Victoria has seen.
The two-year investigation targeted a number of alleged organised crime syndicates involved in the production of cannabis.
The operation, which had to be postponed due to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent visit to Melbourne, resulted in police arresting 53 people.
Other properties in Hillside, Taylors Hill, Burnside Heights, Kings Park, St Albans, Caroline Springs, Burnside, Albanvale, Cairnlea, Derrimut, Footscray West, Wyndham and Wyndham Vale, were also searched by 630 police from a range of task forces.
The electricity companies were also called in to shut off the power as most of the houses had complex hydroponic systems using redirected electricity.
Deputy Commissioner Sir Ken Jones said the operation was a huge success.
“As a result of this operation, we believe we have been able to disrupt the activities of a significant drug and organised crime syndicate operating in our state,” he said.
“Operation Entity highlights the level of resources we are prepared to put into targeting this type of criminal activity and methods we can use to permanently dismantle these networks.”
As part of the operation police also discovered more than 400 cannabis plants in a Springvale South residence. Eleven rooms within the two-storey Corio Drive home were being used to cultivate marijuana in hydroponic set-ups.
Phase two of Operation Entity has stopped more than $32 million worth of cannabis from reaching Victorian streets.
It is believed the majority of the drug houses have connections with Vietnamese drug rings.
