TOORADIN — Detectives have seized more than $3.6 million worth of cannabis plants following a dramatic raid on a rural property in Tooradin on Wednesday.
More than 1,200 cannabis plants were discovered growing inside a crop house on Hardys Road, with police alleging the large-scale cultivation was part of a sophisticated commercial operation.
Officers from the Southern Metro Region Divisional Response Unit executed the search warrant with support from specialist police units, including the Drone Unit and Dog Squad. Upon arrival, it’s alleged two men — a 39-year-old from St Albans and a 43-year-old with no fixed address — tried to flee the property on foot but were quickly arrested nearby.
The pair have since been charged with cultivating a large commercial quantity of cannabis and were remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 17 July.
A third man, a 48-year-old from Doncaster, was also arrested at the scene. He was interviewed by police and is expected to be charged on summons.
Police further allege the property had been illegally connected to the street’s electricity supply — a potentially dangerous setup that required specialist intervention to isolate before officers could safely enter.
Investigations into the full extent of the operation remain ongoing.
