POLICE PULL PLUG ON 16 GROW OPS

7,300 Pot Plants Seized In Repentigny; Cop Lived Next Door To One Of The
Homes That Were Used To Cultivate Marijuana

Sixteen Repentigny homes - including one next door to a police officer's
residence - were raided yesterday morning as investigators dismantled
marijuana growing operations scattered in the town northeast of Montreal.

Neighbours of one $200,000 house on Bord de l'Eau St. reacted with little
surprise to the raids, as no one had lived in the building during the past
year.

They noticed the snow was never shoveled and a mailbox was placed on the
edge of the lawn nearest the street. Once in a while, a stranger would
quickly pass by just to grab the mail.

But one person who was surprised was a Repentigny police officer who lives
next door to the house.

"What? There?!" said the officer, who worked a later shift than those who
carried out the early morning raids. He was understandably reluctant to
have his name published.

"I've been here for only six months. But I have noticed no one ever seemed
to be there," the police officer said as his colleagues hauled electronic
equipment out of the house.

Municipal records indicate a Toronto resident purchased the house April 29.
According to police, none of the houses raided yesterday were rented.

The Surete du Quebec and Repentigny police seized more than 7,300 marijuana
plants. A police source estimated the plants to be worth at least $7
million. Investigators also removed 433 heat lamps from the 16 homes.

Nine men and three women were arrested. Only two people are expected to
appear in court in Joliette today. The rest were released on a promise to
appear in court in June.

The police investigation began this year when six other houses were raided
after neighbours reported strange late-night visits and, in some cases, a
strong odour emanating from the homes.

The six houses were raided in January and police arrested a man in his 50s.
Repentigny police then asked the SQ for help and expanded their
investigation, leading to yesterday's raids and arrests.

Yesterday's raids were similar to a sweep carried out in January 2002, in
which police found 17 bungalows in a Deux Montagnes housing development
that were used to grow marijuana. The growers in that case were believed to
be tied to a Hells Angels puppet gang.

"There are signs there was a network operating. (The growers) used the same
modus operandi," Repentigny police Sgt. Paul Diamond said, adding no clear
links to organized crime were found in this case.

"We put a lot of effort in trying to keep drugs off our territory.
Repentigny is a city with 12,000 students in elementary and high schools.
To be able to close 16 of these residences growing marijuana, where the
goal was to sell it, is a success for us."