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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Tim Piccione

ACT grow houses part of 'sophisticated, clandestine' operation, court told

Cannabis grow houses and two men accused of looking after them in the ACT are part of a "sophisticated, clandestine" cultivating operation, a court has heard.

On Friday, in the ACT Magistrates Court, prosecutor Sam Carmichael said it could be inferred "this is part of a significant criminal operation".

NSW men Ngoc Canh Tran, 47, and Anh Tuan Bui, 51, were arrested last week and both charged with cultivating and trafficking drug offences in relation to multiple grow houses.

Tran, who is also accused of failing to comply with an order made by a magistrate after allegedly blocking police access to his phone, was refused bail on Friday.

His co-accused withdrew his bid for conditional release as a result.

Nearly 40kg of dry cannabis was discovered. Picture supplied

Neither of the two Vietnamese men, who were surveilled by police for months before their arrests, have entered pleas.

With 38kg of dry cannabis, 703 plants, and "significant apparatus" found at two properties, Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker cited the case's seriousness and strength in her bail refusal.

Mr Carmichael said the houses were used for the sole purpose of producing cannabis, with furniture and bedding removed to help clear space.

More than 700 plants were found at the Flynn property. Picture supplied

According to police documents, Tran and Bui were arrested at a five-bedroom Flynn home on August 22.

Inside, officers found all the main rooms and half the garage contained heat lamps, irrigation pipes and pump fans, industrial filters and plants. Two more homes were also raided.

"The grow house set up is very sophisticated," the chief magistrate said.

The two men are set to return to court next month.

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