Two men have been arrested following the discovery of a cannabis grow-house in an underground bunker today.

This morning, Monday 16 January, following an investigation, Detectives from Serious and Organised Crime Branch together with police officers from the Mounted and Dog Operations Units and Southern District CIB attended a semi-rural property at Coromandel East to conduct a search.

At the address police allegedly located and seized 18 cannabis plants that were being grown hydroponically in an elaborate underground bunker, also seized was approximately 1.5 pounds of dried cannabis, two gel blaster firearms, approximately 35gm of a white powder suspected to be cocaine, hydroponic equipment and a large quantity of cash.

Two Coromandel East men aged 53 and 20-years-old were arrested at the property and both have been charged with cultivating cannabis, theft of electricity, possess prescribed equipment, trafficking in controlled drugs namely cocaine and cannabis, money laundering and possess firearms without a licence.

The men have been refused bail and will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday 17 January.

Detective Superintendent Billy Thompson, Officer in Charge of Serious and Organised Crime Branch said “This find of a concealed underground bunker illustrates the lengths that those involved in organised crime will go to in attempting to conceal their illegal activities. Illicit drugs do untold harm to our communities and I encourage anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, you can remain anonymous.”

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If you have a gel blaster, you have a firearm.

Gel blasters are subject to the same licensing, registration and security conditions as other firearms.

Any person not licensed to have a gel blaster or any person with a gel blaster that is not registered can surrender it to police or a participating licensed firearms dealer as part of the firearms amnesty.

For the opportunities to surrender or to obtain authorisation for the gel blaster, go to www.police.sa.gov.au/services-and-events/firearms-and-weapons