Cannabis Crop Worth $1.5m: Bail Granted for Man Arrested in Police Raid

Strategic Insights -

Vu Tran, 32, a Vietnamese citizen, was granted bail on Monday in Geelong Magistrates Court after being arrested alongside his co-accused, Son Dinh Tran, for cultivating a commercial quantity of cannabis. The arrest occurred on July 22, 2023, at a Belmont factory, where police allegedly found 519 cannabis plants in a sophisticated set-up, valued north of $1.5m.

Key Takeaways:

  • Vu Tran, a 32-year-old Vietnamese citizen, was arrested for cultivating a commercial quantity of cannabis, alongside his co-accused, Son Dinh Tran, at a Belmont factory on July 22.
  • The pair allegedly tried to flee from police, but were "boxed in" by officers, with only one man escaping.
  • The factory was found to contain 519 cannabis plants in a sophisticated setup, estimated to be worth over $1.5m.
  • Constable Adam Mitchell told the court that while the exact figures and weights of cannabis were not yet available, the quantity was "just shy" of a large commercial quantity (250kg or more, or 1000 plants).
  • Vu Tran's lawyer, Barrister William Barker, argued that his client was not a flight risk, and that there was no evidence to suggest he had access to $1.5m in cannabis money.
  • The court granted Vu Tran bail with strict conditions, including daily check-ins at Sunshine Police Station and a curfew.

Statistics:

  • 519 cannabis plants were allegedly found in the Belmont factory.
  • The estimated value of the cannabis was over $1.5m.
  • Vu Tran and his co-accused were arrested on July 22, 2023.
  • The police alleged that the cannabis quantity was "just shy" of a large commercial quantity (250kg or more, or 1000 plants).
  • Vu Tran's bond was set at $35,000, with a proposed surety from a close friend.

Sources:

  • Geelong Advertiser: "Cannabis crop worth $1.5m: Bail granted for man arrested in police raid"

Note: The exact date of the court hearing was not mentioned in the source material. Therefore, I have not added any dates to the article. The source material was the Geelong Advertiser App, which is the original publication of the story.