POLICE say the Victoria Hotel at Benalla has been targeted by a drug syndicate since its closure, with the venue used to grow several hundred thousand dollars worth of cannabis.
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The 2000-square metre venue was decked out with hydroponic equipment including lights and an air filtration system, and the windows blacked out.
Police allege the syndicate spent several weeks setting up 21 rooms for the plants and cultivated marijuana between February and the start of August.
Police found the remnants of 100 plants at the venue on Tuesday after the owner came from Melbourne to inspect the property.
“It appears there were multiple people involved in the operation ... it’s obviously not their first one,” Acting Detective Sgt Simon Hunter said.
“They would have to be an organised syndicate to do this.
“It definitely would have been packed up and probably taken to Melbourne, but it could have been taken to Sydney, for distribution.
“These people are not locals.
“They’ve set up a professional, sophisticated system which is common in Melbourne.”
The property was leased through a Melbourne real estate agent and Benalla police are working with city officers to identify those involved.
“Witnesses have reported seeing various vans and utes there over the past few months,” Sgt Hunter said.
“Inquiries are being made to identify them.
“The value of the crop would have been in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
The hotel, located near the Benalla railway station, is in a high traffic part of the town.
Anyone with information is asked to call Benalla police on (03) 5760 0200 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
