Eight mature marijuana plants have been ripped out of the ground by uniform police officers at a suburban Echuca address.
Warrants were executed at the property before 10am on Thursday, March 9, the latest in a series of alleged drug busts — and certainly not the last, according to police.
Seven officers from Echuca and Kyabram, spread across four different vehicles, attended the address while onlookers gathered outside to find out what was going on.
Acting Senior Sergeant of the Echuca Police Justin McAuley said the plants were about 180cm tall.
He said the estimated street value of the plants was not yet known as the plants needed to be sent to a botanist to be analysed and weighed before an estimation could be provided.
“It’s hard to tell their weight at this stage just because they’re wet and straight out of the ground,” Act Sen Sgt McAuley said.
“They have been grown quite well, which you can tell by the foliage.”
The plants were growing in the corner of the backyard near the shed.
Police uprooted the plants and stowed them away in an enclosed trailer.
Act Sen Sgt McAuley said they had been working on this raid for about two weeks.
“We will be targeting a number of addresses in the coming weeks,” he said.
“We are out there and we are concentrating on these grow operations.
“If they grow it, they will be caught.”
The male occupant of the house will be questioned and is expected to be charged in the coming days, and appear in Echuca Magistrates’ Court.
Campaspe police are calling on anyone who may have information about drug operations to come forward and phone 5483 1500 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppers.com.au