Police have charged seven men with drug offences and seized close to $40 million of cannabis following an investigation into commercial-scale unlawful cannabis production in the South West region.
On August 5, Toowoomba police, with assistance from Drug and Serious Crime Group and Proston police, arrested seven men – a 42-year-old, a 46-year-old, a 35-year-old, a 41-year-old, a 43-year-old, a 40-year-old and a 36-year-old – following the execution of a search warrant at a rural property at Boondooma.
At approximately 6am, police attended the property, a former cattle station located approximately 110km northwest of Kingaroy, locating several large greenhouses measuring approximately 130m by 60m. Inside police located and seized approximately 15680 cannabis plants and 50kg of dried cannabis, along with generators, hydroponic and other equipment police will allege was being used to grow cannabis on a large scale.
The street value of the cannabis seized at the property is estimated to be $39.9 million.
All men were charged with one count each of producing and possessing a dangerous drug (cannabis). The men have been remanded in custody and are due to re-appear in Murgon Magistrates Court on August 16.
The execution of the search warrant resulted from investigations that followed the intercept of a vehicle around 4.30pm July 18 on the Warrego Highway at Helidon travelling inbound to Brisbane. Upon searching the vehicle, police officers located approximately 200kg of processed cannabis. Police will allege the cannabis was being transported from the property.
All cannabis plants seized as part of the investigation have been destroyed and hydroponic equipment dismantled.
Investigations are continuing.
