Bing Xia: Kalgoorlie sushi bar owner in huge $5.2 million pine plantation cannabis bust handed long jail term

A Japanese restaurant owner who masterminded one of the biggest cannabis growing operations ever busted in WA’s history has been handed a whopping jail term. China-born Bing Xia was busy in 2022, not just establishing Kyoto House in Kalgoorlie but also planning a large-scale hydroponic operation in the Wheatbelt farming district of Kokeby, with an associate. He acquired the property, which was half covered with Forest Products Commission-managed pine plantation, and was “integrally involved” in planning the cultivation project, WA District Court Judge Charlotte Wallace said. A huge amount of equipment was amassed including LED lights, high-quality soil, irrigation pipes and grow bags, and six greenhouses were set up among the trees, “to provide screening and secrecy”. They hired workers - five of whom were arrested when the plot was uncovered - and even considered getting a truck and forklift but decided against it. The co-conspirators shared concerns about aerial imagery, noting Google Maps updated every five years. But it was a man in a glider going overhead on a birthday flight who brought them unstuck, taking photographs that he sent to the previous owner of the land. When police raided, they found almost 128kg of dried flower buds estimated as being worth $1.4 million. Police also found 2023 plants, including seedlings, with an estimated street value of $3.79m, bringing the total haul value to a staggering $5.2m. Judge Wallace said there was no evidence that the 41-year-old returned to the property once the land purchase had been settled. There was also no evidence showing what Xia would get in return for his involvement, the judge said. But the plotters had jotted down notes about the plan, including how long they expected a crop to take to grow before harvest. “Your role was undeniably a crucial one,” Judge Wallace said on Friday. “You clearly must have been intending to benefit from this operation. “Police intervened before you could. “It is one of the largest cannabis operations identified in WA.” Judge Wallace sentenced the father-of-two to seven years’ jail, with parole eligibility after five years. Assisted by an interpreter, the chef looked sadly at his partner in the public gallery, who the judge noted may not be able to continue living in Australia. “I don’t take any pleasure in this at all,” the judge said. “I feel compassion for you and your family and your children. “But at the end of the day, the outcome was inevitable. “I’ve tried to temper it to the extent I can.” Xia fought his charges at trial but a jury found him guilty after almost two days of deliberating. His earliest release date is February 2031.