news, latest-news

The case against a Dunlop man linked to a northside growhouse has stalled due to the Australian Federal Police investigation of downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. Prime Minister Tony Abbott sent a contingent of AFP forensic experts to Europe in an attempt to identify Australian victims of the crash over war-torn eastern Ukraine. Canberra prosecutors successfully sought to have the case against Huy Huu Lee, 43, adjourned for two months due to the delay in testing forensic material. The ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday heard the AFP expert tasked with examining vital fingerprint and DNA evidence from the growhouse had been part of the AFP sent to Ukraine as part of the Operation Bring Them Home. Mr Lee has been charged with two counts of drug trafficking, and cultivating a commercial quantity of cannabis. He has pleaded not guilty. The court has previously heard police had been watching a Macgregor home – which they allege is a drug clearing house – for some time. Police watched as a man drove a Mitsubishi Lancer into the garage of the property and the door closed in December last year. Officers then listened, via electronic surveillance, as Mr Lee and the other man spoke. Police swooped on the second man when he left soon after, allegedly finding 2.7 kilograms of cannabis in heat-sealed bags in his car. Mr Lee was also stopped a short time later. Police allegedly found $230,000 of drug money stored in a toilet box in his car. The defendant allegedly told police he had recently bought the toilet and the cash must have been already inside at purchase. Police then raided a home next door to the Macgregor house, allegedly finding a "sophisticated hydroponic set-up" with more than 80 cannabis plants. Prosecutor Richard Cawte said the AFP expert investigating the case was at present in Ukraine assessing the wreckage of MH17. Mr Cawte asked for an eight week adjournment so the outstanding forensic evidence could be prepared for the case. Magistrate Peter Dingwall listed the matter to reappear in October.

https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/b3ad2959-5d19-4353-bbc4-78811d3a2482.jpg/r0_50_1000_615_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg