AN eighth person has been charged following the seizure of nearly $10 million worth of cannabis in the region over the past month.
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On Monday, April 27, police executed a crime scene warrant at a property at Ballimore, where they seized more than 2440 cannabis plants and 427kg of dried cannabis, with an estimated potential street value of more than $9.6 million.
As part of the sting, five men - aged 26, 40, 42, 45 and 52 - and two women - aged 34 and 59 - were arrested and charged.
All seven remain before the courts.
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On Thursday, detectives charged an eighth person, with officers taking the 36-year-old man into custody at Cabramatta Police Station on Thursday.
The Cabramatta man was charged with cultivating a prohibited plant (large commercial quantity), suppling a prohibited drug (large commercial quantity), participating in a criminal group and knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime.
He was refused bail to appear at Liverpool Local Court on Friday.
Investigations by the Drug and Firearms Squad are continuing.
In December 2019, detectives from the State Crime Command's Drug and Firearms Squad established Strike Force Emerstan to investigate the cultivation and supply of cannabis across the state's Central West.
Their inquiries uncovered a rural property near Dubbo being used for the cultivation of cannabis.
At the time of the raid in April Drug and Firearms Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent John Watson told the media it was a significant seizure because "all the hard work" had been done in preparation for hte drugs to be sold on the streets.
"Just this month (April), NSW Police in conjunction with western region officers have seized more than 540 cannabis plants, in excess of 600 kilos of drying cannabis head, 11 offenders are before the courts and the potentially street value of all that is in excess of $17 million," Detective Superintendent Watson said.
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