Cannabis plants seized as raids continue

Police have seized hundreds more cannabis plants and made more arrests as they
continue to raid homes linked to Victoria's largest drug bust.
In their biggest raid of the operation, police found more than 400 cannabis plants
when they searched a Springvale South home on Wednesday, adding to the thousands of
plants found in raids on Tuesday.
Eleven rooms of the two-storey suburban home were being used to cultivate marijuana
in hydroponic set-ups, police say.
Police found a further 300 cannabis plants when they raided two Hampton Park homes
in the same street on Wednesday.
In the Melbourne Magistrates Court an entire courtroom was devoted to filing
hearings for 30 of those charged.
To assist the court, those appearing were each given numbers and grouped by colours,
depending on whether they were involved with the Footscray, Melton or Dandenong
operation.
Among those to appear were two alleged illegal immigrants and a young couple.
The court heard Lam Van Nguyen, 47, and Thanh Quoc Luu, 41, who are facing charges
including cultivating and trafficking cannabis are allegedly unlawfully in
Australia.
Recovering heroin addict William Chau, 27, of St Albans, told the court his human
rights had been breached because he was promised his methadone medication while in
custody but was still waiting.
"Am I supposed to be on remand for two years am I?" he asked the court.
My Ha Cao, 20, of Footscray, wiped tears from her eyes as she sat in court next to
her boyfriend Tien Quang Luong, also of Footscray who, at 19, is the youngest of
those charged.
Student Trang Thi Nguyen, 20, of Deer Park, was released on bail on the condition
she report daily to police, surrender her passports and not leave Victoria.
Police did not oppose her bail bid.
The court heard all accused are of Vietnamese origin except for Siroxa Hlebnikov,
26, who is of Chinese background.
Of the 30 accused, five are women.
Many of those charged required an interpreter. The court was told some speak no
English at all.
Magistrate Luisa Bazzani ordered all 30 accused face the same court for a committal
mention hearing on April 6.
In the Victorian Supreme Court on Wednesday, police sought forfeiture of properties
whose owners are linked to an alleged $32 million syndicate.
Justice Robert Osborn ordered that the proceeds of sale of an Endeavour Hills home
and a Berwick home, both in Melbourne's outer east, be taken by the state.
Police have applied to the courts to seize properties, assets and bank accounts
valued at more than $20 million following Operation Entity raids.
There are about 18 to 20 properties expected to be involved, mainly in Victoria,
with some in New Zealand, as well as about 100 bank accounts.
Over the past two days police say they have seized nearly 9,000 cannabis plants,
arrested 53 people and raided 62 active crop houses.
Victoria Police Detective Superintendent Gerry Ryan said in its two years, Operation
Entity has seized 13,893 cannabis plants, raided 115 properties and arrested 93
people.
"This week's historic raids have struck a significant blow to organised drug
syndicates across the state and have been an unprecedented success," he said.
"Victoria Police has shown our determination in pursuing anyone that sees our
streets as an easy mark for illicit drug sales or cultivation."
Police believe the syndicates have been responsible for the production of almost
$400 million worth of cannabis in the past two years.