The Northern Leader reports and we’d like to highlight that along with the police they fixate on perceived values rather than the simple realities.
A) 51 year old man grows 10 cannabis plants
B) 18 year old man grows 3 plants
CANNABIS plants worth more than $40,000 have been seized from two homes in the same day.
Detectives followed a tip-off that led them to 10 mature cannabis plants set up with a sprinkler system in a Phillip Street home in Armidale.
The plants were found on February 19 and a 51-year old man was charged with cultivation of prohibited plants and possession of prohibited drugs. He will face court in April.
Police had the two properties concerned in their sights already, New England Police District Detective Inspector Ann Joy said.
“Those were very mature plants that had been automatically water fed, in extremely healthy condition, a plant of that type can be up to $4000 per plant,” she said.
“So I would estimate the street value of those at $40,000.”
On the same day police found three mature cannabis plants in Canambe Street.
An 18-year-old man was charged with prohibited plant cultivation and served a notice to go to court.
The seizures were part of a sting by the Armidale Target Action Group that has illegal drug activity in its sights.
“It was an initial response to the information local people had provided police,” Inspector Joy said.
“It involved a number of police in terms of logistics of the operation and we will continue to focus on that so any information the public has to assist us in identifying illegal drug activity we will act on.”
The public are reminded to keep an eye out for unusual comings-and-goings, blacked out windows and report any suspicious behaviour to police.
Detectives do not believe the two alleged cannabis cultivation operations uncovered in Armidale are connected.
