By DANIELLE GALVIN
POLICE stormed a house in Farmdale Road Pakenham on Wednesday morning and uncovered dozens of marijuana plants.
The hydroponic drug bust occurred early in the morning on the quiet residential street off Henry Road.
Leading Senior Constable Tony Davies said police executed a search warrant at the house and two men were arrested.
They were remanded to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
“There were five rooms and the set-up – there were 78 plants all up,” he said.
“A commercial set-up is 100 or more plants, and that’s almost a very good chance you are going to jail.”
Police said it was common for residents to be unaware of a drug house in their street.
Lead Sen Const Davies said that crop houses were harder to pick because of the sophisticated technologies used by growers.
“No-one knows – unless there is a smell,” he said.
“They are becoming more sophisticated in how they hide it.”
Police removed “grow lights,” hydroponic growing material and other equipment used in the cultivation process.
Lead Sen Const Davies said it was believed the drug house had been operating for six to eight months.
In April, Pakenham police from the Tasking Unit seized more than 400 plants from a house in Gobbo Place in Pakenham.
The house was also in a quiet and unassuming street, much like Wednesday’s bust.
Sergeant Darren Shaw said told the News in April that the grow house had probably been operational for about two months, and that the plants usually took between six to eight weeks to harvest, depending on the experience of the syndicate.
