A couple was found growing 160 cannabis plants at their property west of Bendigo, a court has been told.
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Christo and Raelene Quinn appeared by videolink in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court on Tuesday to apply for bail.
But the magistrate Sharon McRae rejected the application, saying it was clear the couple was involved in a "large operation".
"They're at the top of the distribution chain," prosecutor Lisa Andrews told the court.
The pair has been charged with cultivating a large commercial quantity of cannabis.
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Sam Gale, a detective from the Central Goldfields Criminal Investigation Unit, told the court officers executed a search warrant at the couple's Moliagul property on May 3.
The plants were mostly found growing about 50 metres from the main residence on the property, he said. The plants were "mature" and in some cases more than two metres tall.
First Constable Gale said when officers went inside the home they were "instantly hit with a strong smell of cannabis".
Officers found the drug hung out to dry in a stairwell, the court was told, while a packing set-up was discovered on the property's second floor.
It was alleged 40 vacuum-sealed bags of dried cannabis were found inside along with more than $53,000 in cash.
In total, the court was told, the dried and growing cannabis weighed 323 kilograms.
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Christo Quinn was arrested at the scene during the search. Raelene Quinn was in Queensland at the time and was taken in to custody a week later after meeting police at the property.
Lawyers for the Quinns argued the pair had strong family support and ties to the area.
The court was told the property was "self-sufficient", with animals and other crops.
"He seemed to be quite an avid gardener," First Constable Gale noted of Christo Quinn.
The court heard Raelene Quinn's family had raised $35,000 to cover her costs if she was granted bail, while Christo Quinn's mother was prepared to offer a unit she owned in Echuca as surety.
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There were also concerns raised about Raelene Quinn's health while in custody. The court was told she had suffered from seizures for at least 24 years and had been admitted to hospital on Monday after an episode.
But Ms McRae refused to grant the pair bail, saying they had not demonstrated there were exceptional circumstances requiring their release from custody.
"In my view, the prosecution have a strong case," she said.
"No doubt we're talking about a large operation.
"It's the magnitude of the operation and the extent of the operation that worries me immensely."
The Quinns are due back before the court in July.
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