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$1.5m marijuana haul

Police are appealing to the public for information after they seized a massive haul of marijuana valued at $1.5 million in the South West.

Pemberton officer-in-charge Sgt Harry Arnott said a plane spotted 300 plants in the Northcliffe area about lunchtime on Wednesday.

Sgt Arnott said police worked around the clock to remove the crop from difficult terrain.

“We had staff working for 24 hours a day removing the crops over three days,” he said.

“We estimate their street value at $1.4 to $1.5 million, which is just a scary amount.”

The drug bust involved 22 staff from seven police stations as well as four-wheel-drives, a boat and the police air wing.

Sgt Arnott described the setup, which involved drying rooms, racks, tents and special fertilisers, as elaborate.

He said the criminals knew what they were doing.

“It’s not like they just sprinkled a few seeds and walked away.”

The drug bust was part of Operation Citroen and was a major victory for police and the community.

“This crop was a significant organised operation and we are pleased we were able to put a dent in the pocket of criminals,” Sgt Arnott said.

“This is about protecting our kids and protecting our communities, but at the end of the day we are only as good as the information we obtain.”

He encouraged anyone with knowledge of such activity to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.