A Crowther man who helped cultivate a $5 million cannabis crop has escaped jail time.
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Malcolm Roy Howarth, 62, pleaded guilty in Young Local Court back in October to knowingly taking part in cultivating a large commercial quantity of a prohibited plant.
Judge Robyn Tupman sentenced Howarth to two years’ prison, wholly suspended when he faced Queanbeyan District Court on Thursday.
Howarth was arrested when a Crowther property was raided on February 12 as part of the ongoing anti-drug operation called Strike Force Oceanic.
According to police facts previously tendered to the court, Howarth was the manager of the property called “Karoopa” and was responsible for running the farm.
He told police he had been aware the crop was growing since December 2013.
He could not explain why he did not inform police.
Police uncovered 2750 cannabis plants on the property in the raid, ranging in height from 15cm to 70cm with a street value of $5 million.
The raid was part of a simultaneous sweep across southern NSW which also allegedly netted $9 million worth of ice in a car near Gundagai, also on February 12.
A property at Yenda was also searched.
