Man arrested in Victoria crime syndicate probe, properties restrained

A 40-year-old man has been arrested as part of an investigation into an alleged organised crime syndicate, with links to the Latrobe Valley, the Mornington Peninsula, Bendigo, McKinnon and Hallam. Police allege the man is connected to an organised crime syndicate which had $17.5 million worth of properties restrained in August last year.

The man has been charged with two counts of cultivating commercial quantities of cannabis and committing an indictable offence while on bail and will appear in court again in October.

Electricians, real estate agents, cleaners, accountants and landlords who helped a Victorian man and his associates in an alleged drug and money laundering operation will be targeted as part of a Victoria Police investigation.

Police arrested a 40-year-old Keysborough man early this morning as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged crime syndicate.

The man has been interviewed and charged with two counts of cultivating commercial quantities of cannabis and committing an indictable offence while on bail.

He faced a Melbourne Magistrate's Court this afternoon, did not apply for bail and has been remanded to appear again in October.

Detectives from the Criminal Proceeds Squad began investigating the syndicate in 2023, after identifying an increase in cannabis crop houses in the Latrobe Valley.

In August last year, police were able to restrain 14 properties linked to the syndicate, valued at $17.5 million, including five in Morwell, two in Moe, two in Keysborough and others in Bendigo, Rosebud, McKinnon, Hallam and Newborough.

Victoria Police Detective Superintendent Geri Porter said people who turned a blind eye to organised crime were complicit and would be targeted.

"If you let someone use your house to grow cannabis, you will be targeted," he said.

"If you undertake any kind of tradesperson activities to keep these properties running, you will be targeted.

"If you're involved in the moving of money or production of things such as false paperwork, you will be targeted."

Police said the squad was able to identify an organised crime syndicate linked to at least 41 crop houses, dating back to 2019.

"We are determined to create the most hostile environment possible for these organised crime syndicates and do every single thing we can to ensure they don't benefit from this offending," Detective Superintendent Porter said.

"We also want to be clear that this is absolutely not limited to the syndicate members themselves — it's also every single person who undertakes tasks that facilitate the operation of organised crime.

"We have offending taking place at all levels, and we will do everything we can to hold every single person to account.

"Wilful blindness to this offending and the incredible harm it wreaks on our community is absolutely no excuse."

Mornington Divisional Response Unit Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Pola said people should not think of drugs and money laundering as victimless crimes and should report any suspicious behaviour.

"Someone is profiting off misery here," he said.

"These criminal syndicates aren't just involved in drugs or money laundering; often they have links to violent and disruptive crimes involving firearms, assaults and extortions.

"Drug trafficking also brings with it other offending such as burglaries and theft of and from motor vehicles."