An eight-year-old boy has been found locked in a makeshift tin shed on a NSW property after police discovered an intricate marijuana drug lab allegedly built by his uncle, mother and her fiancé.
The boy was discovered on the Elands property, north of Taree, on Friday. He was in a tiny uninsulated room, which is believed to be just 2m by 2m, with nothing but a mattress and a bucket, news.com.au reports.
He told police he has been kept in the shed for more than three weeks, enduring storms and high temperatures.
He was only allowed outside to help with household chores.
The boy, alongside his 9 year old sister and two other siblings, the youngest of which is just 12 months old, were placed in the care of the Department of Family and Community Services.
Detectives discovered a “sophisticated hydroponic setup” and seized 225 cannabis plants during the raid, a NSW Police spokeswoman told The Daily Telegraph.
The boy’s mother, 26 and her fiancé, 28, were arrested and charged with cultivating a large commercial quantity of a prohibited plant and detaining a person with intent of financial advantage.
The boy’s uncle, 19, was charged with cultivating large commercial quantities of a prohibited plant.
