Pubdate: Tue, 10 Mar 2015
Source: Herald Sun (Australia)
Copyright: 2015 Herald and Weekly Times
Contact: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/letter
Website: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/187
Author: Mark Buttler
Page: 3

DRUG SHARKS CIRCLE CROWN

Losers preyed upon

RUTHLESS loan sharks are recruiting desperate Crown casino losers to
babysit drug crops in Melbourne's suburbs.

Court records show how criminals are preying on out-of-luck punters to
look after hydroponic cannabis setups worth millions.

Judges have expressed frustration at the number of cropsitters who say
they ended up minding the houses after coercion by the lenders.

It has also emerged an Asian organised crime figure was paid a $5000
commission for each casino patron he could lure into acting as heroin
mules on high-risk international runs out of Vietnam.

At least a dozen cropsitters since 2012 have told Victorian courts
they became involved in the schemes after being approached at Crown.
In most cases, they borrowed money after suffering heavy losses and
were then told to mind houses to meet their debt.

County Court Judge John Smallwood remarked on the prevalence of the
practice while sentencing one cropsitter last year. That man told the
court he was looking after 346 plants at a St Albans house in an
attempt to clear a debt.

"You were recruited at the casino, on what I have been told. As has
been pointed out by other judges many times in recent years, that is
rich picking for people who wish to get people to sit crops or import
drugs," Judge Smallwood said.

Court records show those caught were given crash courses in how to
maintain crops. Others got new SIM cards for phones and cash to cover
living expenses. A university student busted minding 126 plants in
Bundoora told the court he was approached at Crown and offered free
accommodation in return for his services.

The County Court heard in March 2013 a former VIP member racked up
$100,000 in debts to loan sharks at the casino and wound up minding a
hydroponic setup in Sunshine North. A woman minding 473 plants in a
Noble Park home said she lost a lot of money at the casino and was
offered a loan. It then emerged she would have to crop-sit the house
to pay it off.

It was also revealed a heroin syndicate paid a "recruiter" $5000 for
every person he could get to act as drug mules on long-haul flights.

The Court of Appeal heard Quang Vo's role was to cultivate contacts at
Crown and persuade them to courier heroin out of Vietnam inside their
bodies. He found nine couriers. Crown declined to comment.

Vo pleaded guilty and was jailed. The court was told Vo was recruited
by a drug boss after falling in debt to him and loan sharks after
gambling heavily at Crown.
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