TWO LAOTIAN nationals arrested after a fire at Weston uncovered a number of sophisticated hydroponic cannabis operations across the Coalfields have been jailed in Newcastle District Court.
Xaysongkham Philavanh and Teng Meuangkhoua, who were unlawful Australian citizens at the time of their arrest in January, 2020, were jailed for a maximum of two years and three months, with a non-parole period of 15 months on Wednesday after pleading guilty to knowingly taking part in cultivating a commercial quantity of cannabis after negotiations as part of the district court super callover.
A number of other charges were withdrawn.
Upon their release, the pair are expected to be taken to immigration detention and eventually deported.
Police have said emergency services were called to a home on First Street at Weston about 9am on January 2 following reports of a house fire. Fire crews extinguished the blaze and then found a hydroponic setup and called police.
Hunter Valley police launched an investigation and then raided properties at Abermain and Cessnock where they found more than 500 cannabis plants, several kilograms of cannabis and drug paraphernalia.
