Three men have been arrested at a Springvale unit over an alleged cannabis trafficking ring across the South East.
Caulfield Divisional Response Unit detectives raided an allegedly booby-trapped factory housing a ‘$2 million street-value’ cannabis crop on Mill Street, Cheltenham as well as the unit on Windsor Avenue Springvale about 7am on Wednesday 24 September.
Police say they dismantled a sophisticated set-up in the factory, seizing more than 500 cannabis plants weighing about 400 kilograms.
Boobytraps were placed inside the factory, including live wires, which can be deadly when stood on, with one officer narrowly avoiding injury, police allege.
“Not only have we taken 400kg of this drug out of the hands of alleged traffickers before it could be on sold, we have also prevented someone from getting seriously injured,” Caulfield DRU’s Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Anthony Murphy said.
“Cannabis set ups can often go undetected for quite some time, so we are asking members of the community to let us know if they suspect one is on their street.
A 33-year-old man and two 18-year-old men were arrested at the unit, where police seized about $20,000 cash and cannabis seedlings growing in tubs.
They were charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of cannabis, cultivating cannabis and possessing proceeds of crime.
Charges are expected to be laid for setting a trap to harm.
The trio was denied bail to appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 18 December.
