POT BUST IN HIGH-RISE GROWS

20 Vacant Units Involved

Officers raiding more than 20 units at a North York high-rise
yesterday found shoes in doorways, sofas in living rooms and
television sets left running -- trappings of life that, police
believe, were placed in the apartments to conceal an elaborate
marijuana grow-operation.

"It appeared it was staged to look like people were living there but
we did not find people living there," Detective Sergeant David
Malcolm of the Toronto police drug squad said.

The grow-op uncovered yesterday at 2600 Jane St., north of Sheppard
Avenue West, was among the largest and most sophisticated police had
seen in recent years, he said.

"In context it's huge. You're looking at approximately 20 apartments
in one apartment building. The threat to the people that were living
inside was very real. It's not a matter of if there's going to be a
fire. It's a matter of when," Det.-Sgt. Malcolm said, adding there
was a blaze sparked by a grow-op's faulty wiring at the building in April.

Two men were arrested yesterday in connection with the grow-op. Their
names are expected to be released today. Police have warrants for as
many as 15 other suspects, Global News reported last night.

Police do not know how many growers were cultivating the metre-tall
plants in as many as 22 units spread across several floors of the building.

"We believe they are connected," Det.-Sgt. Malcolm said of the
grow-ops in the different units. Early estimates of the drugs' street
value top $6.5-million, he said.

The raid began yesterday afternoon when officers from the Toronto
police drug squad and 31 Division executed five search warrants on
units at the building.

As their investigation progressed, they applied for 17 more search warrants.

In every apartment they combed, police found marijuana plants at
various stages of growth stuffed into closets, bedrooms and other
nooks and crannies of the apartments.

They also found the hydro had been bypassed.

Toronto Hydro crews cut off power to the units that had been tampered
with. The rest of the building was not affected. The city will
conduct an audit on the high-rise to ensure everything is safe,
Det.-Sgt. Malcolm said.

Det.-Sgt. Malcolm said halting the proliferation of apartment
grow-ops is a challenge in light of the number of empty units across the city.

"As the vacancy rate in the city of Toronto goes up, people are
starting to take advantage and going in and renting these empty units
and turning them into an unbelievably lucrative cash crop."