Strike Force Morison was established by the State Crime Command's Drug Squad with the assistance of Coffs/Clarence and New England Local Area Commands to investigate the cultivation of cannabis within the Chaelundi National Park.

Investigations led police to two leased properties in the National Park where they found cannabis crops being cultivated.

On Wednesday morning (Jan 13) officers from Strike Force Morison, formed to investigate the matter, found two men aged 61 and 38 watering the crop, police said.

A search warrant was conducted on the property with the two men, aged 61 and 38, arrested and taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station. Police allegedly located in excess of 9000 cannabis plants with an estimated potential street value of $18 million.

About 4:40pm the same day, police came across two men on a track leading to the property and subsequent checks revealed one of the men to be wanted on a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station.

Dennis Gordon-Smith, 61, of Coffs Harbour and Adam Beveridge, 38, of Korora appeared in Coffs Harbour Local Court on Thursday (Jan 14) charged with cultivate prohibited drug (commercial quantity).

Appearing separately in brief bail court hearings, the men were refused bail to reappear on March 9.

Meanwhile a 52-year-old man was charged with a revocation of parole warrant.

Coffs Harbour Detectives also executed two search warrants in connection with the arrests. A number of items have been seized including cash and financial records.

Acting Police Minister, David Campbell said it was the single largest seizure found in the one area of NSW over the past three years. “A haul of this size will have a significant impact on the availability of drugs on the streets, not only locally on the Coffs Coast but throughout the State,” Mr Campbell said. “I’d like to commend the officers from Strike Force Morison involved in the success of this operation and the strong inroads they’re making into pulling apart illegal cannabis crops,” he said. “It’s a pleasing result. It was a difficult investigation for the police who had to work in tough and steep terrain and hot conditions. It’s a credit to them,” said Coffs/Clarence crime manager Detective Inspector Cameron Lindsay.

“Given the amounts that have been seized, we would estimate this will have a major impact on the supply of cannabis in the area.”

The crop was destroyed in the furnace at the Thora sawmill.