Tara Murray
Two Brimbank men are the latest people to be arrested as part of a 10-month operation into a major crime syndicate and cannabis crops.
Police earlier this month executed warrants at properties in Telley Street in Ravenhall and Derrimut Crescent in Derrimut as part of Operation Crawl arresting two people.
The two men, a 31-year-old Sunshine North man and a 24-year-old St Albans man, are expected to be charged with commercial scale cultivation of a narcotic plant.
The operation run by the Hume Crime Investigation Unit has been targeting an alleged organised crime syndicate responsible for cultivating large-scale cannabis crops inside factories across Melbourne.
Police have arrested 12 people and seized approximately 7000 cannabis plants as part of the investigation.
The plants were allegedly being cultivated across 11 factory-style set ups, with their street value estimated to be worth up to $12 million.
The factory locations include Braeside, Ravenhall, Truganina and Derrimut, Campbellfield, Kilsyth, Carrum Downs and Seaford,
Detective Sergeant Joseph Hartwig said it was a significant operation.
“Police will be alleging those arrested are a part of a significant organised crime syndicate, seeking to profit off the most vulnerable in our community.”
“We know the flow on effect of illicit drugs causes devastation throughout the community – with drug-fuelled driving, family violence and assaults.”
