Police have shut down a large drug operation in southern Queensland, seizing what they allege is almost $40 million worth of cannabis.
Key points:
Seven men have been charged with drug offenses
More than 15,000 cannabis plants were seized from the former cattle property
The drugs had an estimated street value of $40 million
Queensland Police arrested seven men, aged between 35 and 46 after raiding a rural property at Boondooma, about 330 kilometers north-west of Brisbane.
Police said when they arrived at the former cattle station around 6am on August 5, they found several large greenhouses, measuring about 130 meters by 60 meters.
Officers allegedly seized more than 15,000 cannabis plants and 50 kilograms of dried cannabis, as well as generators and hydroponic equipment.
Police said the cannabis seized had a street value of about $39.9 million.
The seven men have been charged with producing and possessing a dangerous drug.
$39.9 million worth of cannabis was found and destroyed by police.(Supplied: Queensland Police Service)
Ninh Van Nguyen, 43, Minh Van Troung, 41, Van Tuan Dang, 46, The Dung Le, 42, Van Tuan Ngo, 40, Tony Anh Cao, 36, and Hieu Huu Nguyen, 35, appeared in the Murgon Magistrates Court on Saturday.
They were remanded in custody with the case adjourned for mention in the same court on August 16.
The raid was the result of an arrest in July, when 200 kilograms of cannabis was allegedly seized from a car that was stopped on the Warrego Highway at Helidon.
It is alleged the cannabis had come from the property at Boondooma.
Police have destroyed the cannabis plants seized and dismantled the hydroponic equipment found at the site.
The seizure of 1.2 tonnes of methamphetamine in the port city of Geraldton almost five years ago was preceded months earlier by the “successful importation” of hundreds of kilograms of the drug, the WA Supreme Court has been told.
Key points:
The methamphetamine had a street value of $160 million
The drugs were transferred to the men’s vessel mid-ocean
Their boat nearly ran out of fuel and was forced to go to Geraldton
The revelation came at the start of a new trial for five men accused of involvement in the massive drug importation in December 2017 — Jabour Anthony Lahood, 56, Peter Harb, 48, Christos Cafcakis, 48, Serupepeli Anthony Rasaubale, 38 and Khalid Elia Kaena , 57.
The court was told the methamphetamine, or ice — worth about $160 million — had been transferred onto a 55-foot vessel, called the Valkoista, in a mid-ocean rendezvous with another vessel dubbed “the Asian boat.”
It is alleged the crew members on each boat provided a half-torn Hong Kong bank note to verify their identities before the transfer took place.
Police were watching
Commonwealth prosecutor Chris O’Donnell SC said the Valkoista then made its way to Geraldton where a “ground crew” was waiting to collect the drugs.
Unbeknown to those involved, the importation was being watched by police, who swooped as the 60 bags containing the drugs were loaded into a van.
A van containing the methamphetamine was seized by authorities in Geraldton in December, 2017.(Supplied: AFP)
Mr O’Donnell said Mr Cafcakis was one of the crew on the Valkoista, Mr Rasaubale and Mr Kaena were members of the ground crew, and Mr Lahood and Mr Harb were the organizers of the operation and oversaw what was happening from Sydney.
Mr O’Donnell said the importation had not “come out of the blue” but had followed a successful operation five months earlier, when the Valkoista had been purchased for $350,000.
Those who bought the boat were told they needed to look for a vessel that had a carrying capacity of between 400 kilograms and 800 kilograms.
The methamphetamine smuggled in during the July operation was transferred to the Valkoista mid-ocean,then driven from Geraldton to Sydney, Mr O’Donnell said.
He said that earlier importation was the beginning of a “chain of events” that culminated in the December drugs seizure.
Boat running low on fuel
The court heard the drugs were again transferred to the Valkoista in a mid-ocean rendezvous in December 2017, and while they were meant to be taken back to Hillarys, in Perth’s north, they ended up in Geraldton because that was the nearest port and the Valkoista was low on fuel.
Mr O’Donnell said the “successful” importation happened after meetings in Sydney involving Mr Lahood.
The drugs ended up back in Geraldton because the vessel that was meant to transport them was low on fuel. (Supplied: AFP)
Witnesses in the case are expected to include two men who were involved in the December importation—the captain of the Valkoista and one of the “ground crew.”
At the beginning of the case, Justice Michael Corboy informed the jury members there had been a previous trial involving the men, but it had concluded for reasons he said were not relevant to anything they will have to consider.
