NSW:Mum with baby twins arrested in drug raids

AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2011
NSW:Mum with baby twins arrested in drug raids

SYDNEY, Aug 22 AAP - The mother of twin babies was among a number of gambling addicts
arrested in a series of police drug raids across southwest Sydney that also netted $22.6
million worth of cannabis.

Since March, the police have raided 58 houses, seizing almost 7,000 marijuana plants
and 131kg worth of cannabis.

Eighteen crop sitters were arrested, including a mother with 12-month old twins who
has since been charged with cultivating a commercial quantity of cannabis.

Detective Superintendent Scott Cook said most of the people arrested by Strike Force
Zambesi had gambling problems.

"They're generally vulnerable people with gambling debts or other forms of debt who
are basically put in there to take the high-risk component of the operation," he told
reporters on Monday.

"They're targeting a particular victim, persons with debts, quite easily convinced
to go and sit in the premises, add the fertiliser on and just monitor for activity."

The raids also uncovered hydroponic, electrical and lighting equipment, along with
chemicals, as cannabis with a potential street value of $22.580 million was seized.

The so-called "hydro houses" included homes in Bankstown, Cabramatta, Fairfield and
Macquarie Fields - mainly rental properties.

"There's nothing at this stage that indicates they're directly linked to each other,"

Det Sup Cook said, adding Asian organised crime links were harder to define.

Frank Mennilli, the assistant commissioner of the southwest metropolitan region command,
said police expected to make more arrests as it tackled the illegal drug market.

"It certainly was worse but I believe we're had a very big impact on the problem," he said.

He added that, Strike Force Zambesi, the first cannabis eradication program of its
type, would continue.

"The main ambition when Strike Force Zambesi was established was to prevent the cannabis
from ending up on the streets but also to stop the cash from going back to the criminal
identities running these operations," he said.

Assistant Commissioner Mennilli said that after the NSW north coast, southwest Sydney
was the state's most prevalent region for cannabis cultivation because it had a greater
variety of leased premises.

He said the vast majority of people arrested were Australian citizens, including people
of Vietnamese origin.

They have also been charged with drug possession, fraud and electricity theft in matters
now before the courts, with 37 charges between them.

AAP saj/tr/it

KEYWORD: CANNABIS UPDATE

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