Pubdate: Sat, 07 Jul 2001 Source: Dominion, The (New Zealand) Copyright: 2001 The Dominion Contact: http://www.inl.co.nz/wnl/dominion/index.html Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/128 HYDROPONIC DRUG HOUSE EARNS JAIL A commercial cannabis grower who managed a hydroponic growing house capable of earning more than $100,000 a year was sentenced to 2-1/2 years' prison yesterday after appearing in the High Court at Wellington. Edward Charles Murray, 31, was arrested in March, after police executed search warrants at a house in Upper Hutt and were then led to a house in Lower Hutt, crown prosecutor Ian Murray said. Three of the bedrooms in that house were fitted with sophisticated hydroponic equipment, he said. The accused told police he had set up the operation for himself, and had intended to run it for a year to earn enough to buy himself a house, a car and a boat. Police estimated that the crop was conservatively worth $20,000, and it would be possible to raise six crops a year, earning more than $100,000. Defence lawyer Paul Surridge told Justice Doogue that his client "had not the wherewithal or knowledge" to set up the sophisticated operation on his own. Police believed he had been only the caretaker of the property for two others, one of whom was on the run, and the other who had not yet been to trial, Mr Surridge said. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe