BREAKING THE LAW TO BUST GROW-OPS

Surrey Residents Making False Break-in Calls

Surrey residents are calling in bogus break-in complaints to get
Mounties to raid suspected marijuana growing operations.

The tactic was disclosed by a senior drug investigator during a B.C.
Supreme Court sentencing hearing for a husband-and-wife team busted
during a 2003 crackdown by Surrey RCMP.

"There are an increasing number of incidents where frustrated citizens
living near a grow operation report false break-and-enter offences
(at) that residence in order to get police to act," Surrey RCMP Cpl.
John Karlovcec said, testifying as an expert witness before Justice
Bruce Josephson in New Westminster.

Karlovcec's remarks were summarized by Justice Josephson in his
reasons for judgment.

Karlovcec said marijuana grow ops in Surrey have increased
"dramatically" since 1997, reaching "epidemic proportions in the Lower
Mainland."

Marijuana-related home invasions or so-called grow rips where crooks
stage their own raids on growers now average two reported cases a
week, Karlovcec said.

He indicated the actual number of such home invasions is likely much
higher, "given the fact such offences are substantially under-reported
for obvious reasons."

Karlovcec said police in Surrey receive 300 to 600 tips on grow ops a
year, but only have the resources to act on the "easier ones," about
one in four reported.

As a result, he said, some people make fake break-in reports to get
police to investigate suspected indoor grow ops when their initial
complaints are not acted on.

Surrey RCMP's Cpl. Roger Morrow did not dispute Karlovcec's
assessment, but warned residents who make false reports of criminal
activity face charges of mischief.

As for the number of police available to raid grow ops, Morrow said
the force would always like more resources, but it must be balanced
against the cost to taxpayers and the need to apply increased
resources to other investigations.

Morrow noted Surrey has pioneered a new approach that sees B.C. Hydro,
firefighters and city crews join the fight against grow ops.

Under the Electrical and Fire Safety Inspection program, B.C. Hydro
identifies homes using extraordinary amounts of power, and
firefighters and city crews inspect the properties.

At the New West sentencing hearing, 51-year-old Kien Tam Nguyen and
45-year-old Nga Thuy Nguyen were given 18 months of house arrest for
running a grow operation out of a three-storey Surrey house worth $375,000.

The judge ordered the house forfeited for sale by law enforcement
authorities to recover enforcement costs.

Police estimate the operation generated $20,000 a month in
revenue.