News (Media Awareness Project) - CN BC: Police Raid Five Grow Operations |
| Title: | CN BC: Police Raid Five Grow Operations |
| Published On: | 2001-04-13 |
| Source: | The Morning Star (CN BC) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-26 18:41:20 |
POLICE RAID FIVE GROW OPERATIONS
Police in Vernon seized about $750,000 worth of marijuana during a
crackdown on five illegal grow operations over the past week.
Six people were arrested and 1,515 marijuana plants seized along with
three pounds of dried marijuana buds, $1,500 worth of magic mushrooms
and a double-barrelled shotgun.
The seizures are a result of raids on homes on the 200 block of North
Aberdeen Road, 4700 block of 29th Street, 3400 block of Westside
Road, 6300 block of Freeman Drive and 5600 block of Rimer Road
conducted between April 4 and 11. Police say the grow operations are
not connected.
"The size of the operations were relatively standard, with between
157 and 500 plants at each," said Cpl. Red Leibel with the Vernon
RCMP's investigation section.
"The quality (of the marijuana) was all very good. We run across very
few poor-quality grow ops anymore."
Along with the high-quality marijuana, police also seized numerous
items of growing equipment, including fans, lights and transformers
used to convert 110-volt household electricity to 440 volts.
"That kind of electricity is needed to power the lamps. And if the
insulation is not done properly, it can present a real danger. That's
how these grow fires start," said Leibel.
"It's a dangerous situation, no doubt about it."
While Leibel said the seizures represent a sizable quantity of
marijuana, he suspects it represents a drop in the bucket of what is
out there.
"This is one of the areas, certainly, that is renowned for quality
marijuana. But there's nowhere in this province where it can't be
grown," he said.
"Common thinking is the reason B.C. is so busy is because of the low
sentencing rules in comparison to some states in the U.S. But we've
seen sentencing guidelines by Vernon area judges rise somewhat in the
last several months. Jail sentences are becoming far more common."
Three males and three females, all from Vernon, are in Vernon Court
on charges of production of marijuana. One of the males is also
facing a charge of unsafe storage of a firearm.
Police in Vernon seized about $750,000 worth of marijuana during a
crackdown on five illegal grow operations over the past week.
Six people were arrested and 1,515 marijuana plants seized along with
three pounds of dried marijuana buds, $1,500 worth of magic mushrooms
and a double-barrelled shotgun.
The seizures are a result of raids on homes on the 200 block of North
Aberdeen Road, 4700 block of 29th Street, 3400 block of Westside
Road, 6300 block of Freeman Drive and 5600 block of Rimer Road
conducted between April 4 and 11. Police say the grow operations are
not connected.
"The size of the operations were relatively standard, with between
157 and 500 plants at each," said Cpl. Red Leibel with the Vernon
RCMP's investigation section.
"The quality (of the marijuana) was all very good. We run across very
few poor-quality grow ops anymore."
Along with the high-quality marijuana, police also seized numerous
items of growing equipment, including fans, lights and transformers
used to convert 110-volt household electricity to 440 volts.
"That kind of electricity is needed to power the lamps. And if the
insulation is not done properly, it can present a real danger. That's
how these grow fires start," said Leibel.
"It's a dangerous situation, no doubt about it."
While Leibel said the seizures represent a sizable quantity of
marijuana, he suspects it represents a drop in the bucket of what is
out there.
"This is one of the areas, certainly, that is renowned for quality
marijuana. But there's nowhere in this province where it can't be
grown," he said.
"Common thinking is the reason B.C. is so busy is because of the low
sentencing rules in comparison to some states in the U.S. But we've
seen sentencing guidelines by Vernon area judges rise somewhat in the
last several months. Jail sentences are becoming far more common."
Three males and three females, all from Vernon, are in Vernon Court
on charges of production of marijuana. One of the males is also
facing a charge of unsafe storage of a firearm.
Member Comments |
No member comments available...
