$600k of Cannabis Seized in Hydroponics House Raid

Oran Park residents were in for a rude awakening on Monday night, after New South Police conducted a raid on a home in Sydney’s South West. NSW police believe the home was being used as a hydroponics home in the cultivation of Marijuana after detectives uncovered 195 cannabis plants at the property. NSW Police allege the cannabis plants are valued at nearly $600k. The hydroponics setup spanned all five rooms of the home and was allegedly being powered through an unlawful electricity setup. Detective Superintendent John Watson, Commander of the NSW Drug and Firearms Squad believes the home was an active hydroponic house for some time.

Hydroponic houses have the potential to put surrounding houses and people in danger and they can be anywhere in the community.

Although no one was at the home at the time of the raid, a 27-year-old Sydney man was arrested, after he showed up at the home shortly after the raid began. In connection with the hydroponic house, the 27-year-old man was charged with the following things:

• ‘Cultivation of Cannabis by Enhanced Indoor Means’, under Section 23 of the NSW Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985
• Use/Consumption/Waste of electricity without authority.

As over $600k of Cannabis was seized, NSW police are considering this a Large Commercial Quantity operation. If convicted, the 27-year-old faces up to 20 years in prison. The home is believed to have been supplying cannabis across Sydney, through an organised criminal syndicate. After fear from locals and Oran park residents, NSW Police have released a list of checklist of signs of a hydroponics house, including:

• Increased use of electricity and water and
• Extreme security measures, including shutters, fences, dogs, and cameras.
• Continuous running of lights and generators.
• Illegal supply of water and electricity.
• Condensation on windows.
• Locks on the electricity metre box.
• Large amounts of garbage or waste from the property.
• Litter around the property, including plastic containers, fertilizer, and soil bags.

This raid comes just a month after NSW police discovered $2.3 Million in Cannabis crops in a rural Port Macquarie property and $9.6 Million in Cannabis crops at a Ballimore property.