Police officers on Tuesday dismantled the third cannabis grow house found in Portland during the past couple of weeks, containing another 289 plants.
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Detective Sergeant Jason von Tunk, of the Portland police crime investigation unit, said Portland and Hamilton detectives and Portland uniform officers raided an address in Must Street at 5.15am Tuesday.
A 40-year-old Vietnamese national was arrested and charged with cultivating a commercial quantity of cannabis.
It is understood he is living in Australia illegally. The man was remanded in custody and will appear in Warrnambool Magistrates Court at a later date.
It is the seventh cannabis south-west crop house busted in the past few weeks - with three in Portland, two in Hamilton and one each in Warrnambool and Horsham.
There have been about 1800 cannabis plants with a potential street value of $3.6 million seized by police.
Police are also investigating seizing the houses as the proceeds of crime.
Detective Sergeant von Tunk said an image of the Must Street property showed exactly what police were looking for, describing the address as "lit up like a Christmas tree".
"Information from the public has been crucial in finding these crop house properties," he said.
"We are requesting anyone who sees lights coming on and going off at regular times to contact their local police station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000," he said.
"We executed a warrant at the Must Street property at 5.15am. There's about 300 plants in eight rooms at the property.
"It's a full grow house, the third we've found in Portland in the past couple of weeks. It involves a complete hydroponic set-up including transformers, lights and watering and nutrient systems."
The hydroponic set-ups at each of the crop houses are worth $50,000. Crime scene officers also examined the property after a fingerprint linked two crop houses.
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