Duong Le, 33, and Thanh Tran, 28, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool County Court on Thursday to cultivating a commercial quantity of cannabis, dealing with property suspected of being the proceeds of crime and failing to comply with directions.

The court heard detectives located videos of the pair's movements inside a large shed that contained a sophisticated hydroponic set-up, including an electricity bypass, and 179 cannabis plants weighing 348 kilograms.

The court heard the weight exceeded the definition of a large commercial quantity (250 kilograms) however the prosecution accepted there was no awareness or intent to cultivate such an amount.

Le and Tran first came to police attention in July last year when they were intercepted driving a silver Hyundai near Portland's Henty Street at 3.15pm.

It was one of 14 times the pair travelled to Portland from their homes in Melbourne, breaching the Chief Health Officer's stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus pandemic.

Then on August 18, a search warrant was executed at the industrial shed located in Portland's Kunara Court.

Detectives announced their attendance shortly before 2pm, there was no response and they forced entry.

Le and Tran attempted to exit through a locked rear door but were subsequently arrested.

Le was found in possession of $450 cash believed to be the proceeds of crime and a mobile phone that was live streaming footage captured by CCTV cameras installed inside the shed.

Tran was found in possession of over $1000, also believed to be the proceeds of crime.

The court heard the shed contained a large hydroponic set up, including two specifically designed tents used to grow cannabis, lights and water pumps.

A box of seedlings was located on the floor and the electrical bypass was found to be used in the theft of about $10,000 of electricity.

Detectives uncovered 108 videos on Le's phone depicting the two men moving items within the warehouse and entering and exiting the tent structures used to grow cannabis.

The prosecution did not accept the men were "mere crop-sitters" but Chris Farrington, representing Le, said it was "patently clear" that there were other persons involved.

"It was those persons who rented the shed, set up the shed and put the bypass in place," he said.

Mr Farrington said the CCTV appeared to be in place "largely to monitor" Le, who he said received no information regarding the size of the crop he was tending to.

He said Le was lured by the promise of money and was "simply following instructions".

"That doesn't in any way downplay the seriousness of his conduct but what it does do is give some insight into how he comes to tend to plants in Portland when he lives in Melbourne," he said.

The court heard a number of plants were nearing maturity and Michael Stanton, representing Tran, said the pair had come into the "tail-end" of the operation.

He said there was no evidence that Tran was "placed higher up the hierarchy of the operation".

The pair have spent over 450 days in custody on remand and will likely be deported upon their release from prison.

They will be sentenced at a later date.

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