A Blackbutt man set up a burgeoning cannabis operation while on conditional bail for an incident of stalking, a court has heard.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Aneshan Govender, 35, was arrested on Wednesday after police raided the home of his alleged accomplice in Essex Street, Berkeley.
Detectives found an established hydroponic setup in a shed to the rear of the property, and seized 18 cannabis plants, a jar containing cannabis and about 10kg of loose cannabis leaf.
Govender appeared in Wollongong Local Court on Thursday charged with cultivating prohibited plants for commercial purpose by enhanced indoor means, and supplying an illegal drug.
His co-accused, a 35-year-old man, was granted police bail on Wednesday.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Tanya Pavlin opposed Govender's application for bail on Thursday, telling the court the prosecution case was strong and if Govender was convicted, he would "inevitably" receive a full-time jail sentence.
She said police had more than 130 telecommunications between the two men.
Police bugged Govender's phone between August and November while investigating the allegations the Wollongong Hospital wardesman entered a woman's home in Shellharbour on August 11 and intimidated her. However, it is alleged while monitoring Govender's calls police inadvertently uncovered his role in the $21,000 cannabis operation.
Court documents state Govender and the co-accused discussed a sale price of $2500 per round for the cannabis yield and that they were able to earn $60,000 per year from the operation.
Another conversation on September 20 alleges Govender informed his co-accused that he had purchased 20 cannabis seeds named 'Amnesia' and another 10 called 'Blue Dream'.
"[The alleged accomplice] discusses the amount of money made from selling the yield from cultivation of five plants that were harvested. A total of $21,000," court documents said.
Police allege Govender tells his friend he watched a video on how to make clones from the existing cannabis plants to make new ones.
During the raid on Wednesday, police allege they found "a number of cannabis plants being grown under artificial lights which were turned on with reflective shades, exhaust extractions systems, cooling systems and a grow chart."
Police claim the pair cultivated 23 cannabis plants. Govender will reappear in court on January 8.