Two men jailed over Victoria's largest cannabis seizure

Two men have been sentenced to 12-and-a-half years in jail for cultivating a massive cannabis crop in northern Victoria. Duy Duc Dao and Quoc Van Tran were found to be growing 8,805 plants at a property in Toolamba, on the outskirts of Shepparton.

The crop, which was discovered by police on February 9, 2022, is believed to have been worth over $22 million if it had matured and been sold in bulk. The pair pleaded guilty to cultivating a large commercial quantity of cannabis and were sentenced in the County Court.

A 'state record' seizure

Judge Pardeep Tiwana heard that the haul set a state record, representing the largest reported seizure of cannabis by weight in Victoria. The plants totalled 5.1 tonnes, more than 20 times the threshold for a "large commercial quantity".

"It represents the largest reported seizure of cannabis by weight in Victoria," Judge Pardeep Tiwana said.

Men claimed they didn't know the true nature of the farm work

Dao and Tran claimed they had not initially realised the farm work they signed up for involved growing illegal drugs. However, Judge Tiwana said they made "no effort to walk away" once the scheme's true purpose became clear.

"The offending, at least in part, has been blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic as being a financially challenging time for both of you," Judge Tiwana said. "Challenges are not overcome by plunging yourself into criminal activity."

The pair, both 36, grew up in poverty in Vietnam before coming to Australia. Judge Tiwana said both men had supported their families back home and had clean criminal records before the bust.

Sentence and parole

Dao and Tran will have to serve a minimum of eight years and four months before they are eligible for parole. They appeared via video link from prison, holding phones to their ears as Vietnamese interpreters relayed the sentences.

"You along with others sought to bring to fruition an illegal operation that would have yielded mouth-watering profits to those higher up in the hierarchy," Judge Tiwana said.

Tran, who faces likely deportation when his sentence expires, clasped his head in his hands at the end of the hearing. Three others allegedly involved in the operation skipped bail on the eve of their trial and remain on the run.