A TARNEIT father-of-three has been jailed for at least 20 months after police seized more than 600 mature cannabis crops from a hydroponic operation at two neighbouring rental houses.
Kia Chau, 43, pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis in a commercial quantity between August 2011 and February 2012.
County Court judge Frank Gucciardo described the set-up as “sophisticated”.
A police raid on one of the properties in February last year found a portion of the fence separating the houses had been removed to allow access from one property to the other.
Both houses contained 256 kilograms of cannabis.
The court heard that Chau had turned himself into Werribee police station, saying that he was a “crop sitter”.
The prosecution accepted his role was limited to the duties of a custodian.
