SA Police Bust Large Cannabis Crop of Over 10,000 Plants

South Australia police seize over 10,000 cannabis plants in Buckland Park, Adelaide, Australia on Dec. 29 2020. (South Australia Police [CC by 4.0])

A glasshouse cannabis crop growing in Adelaide's north is shaping up to be one of the largest discovered in South Australia.

Five men and three women have been charged with cultivating and trafficking a large commercial quantity of the drug.

They were all refused police bail on Wednesday to face court, with at least one suspected to be an illegal immigrant.

Police on Tuesday conducted a search of a Buckland Park property after a public tip-off.

Officers found cannabis plants of varying sizes growing hydroponically as well as a large amount of dried cannabis.

South Australia police seize over 10,000 dried cannabis plants in Buckland Park, Adelaide, Australia on Dec. 29 2020. (South Australia Police [CC by 4.0])

Detective Chief Inspector Darren Fielke said the crop was expected to involve at least 10,000 plants which would be worth millions of dollars on the street.

That would dwarf a crop found in a similar part of Adelaide earlier this year which involved about 7,000 plants, and likely make it one of the largest seized in SA.

Inspector Fielke said the investigation was ongoing and more properties could be searched.

Detectives had not ruled out links to organised crime or to the earlier crop at nearby Virginia.

"It's very brazen. We're surrounded by glasshouses here," he said.

"Hiding in plain sight is a way people are able to facilitate their criminal enterprise."

Those arrested as they tried to run from the property were five men aged 28 to 52 and three women aged 49 to 66.

By Tim Dornin