SPIRIT RIVER RCMP BUST $2.3M GROWOP

EDMONTON - A police raid of a marijuana operation near Spirit River has
resulted in the seizure of 3,893 plants and 13.9 kilograms of the harvested
drug, worth a combined street value of $2.3 million.

Three people were charged after RCMP found the plants in two large
greenhouses outside of Rycroft, about 530 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

While Sgt. Paul Sowers of the Spirit River RCMP said it was the area's
largest bust in a decade, it doesn't solve their drug problem.

"It's one of many grow operations that are likely in the area," he said.

"Information we've gotten from the community says we have a large number of
them in our rural area, so it is just a matter of getting enough
information to get search warrants for them."

Operations ranging from personal to professional are suspected to be in the
area, Sowers said.

Officers obtained the search warrants for the Rycroft operation after
several months of investigation.

RCMP didn't know how long the grow operation had been running, but the one
crop that was drying after harvest would have taken four to six weeks to grow.

There were no hydroponics involved in the operation, although Sowers said
those running it were not beginners.

"They had a fairly good setup of tarping in these greenhouses to control
the amount of light to alter the growing process," he said.

"That's consistent with people who have experience with marijuana operations."

The Edmonton Police Service and RCMP's Green Team assisted in the bust.

Two people were arrested on the two rental properties while the third was
apprehended by police the next day.

James Darcey Slack, 45, Angela Bernice Robinson, 31, and Robert James
Hendry, 29, all from the Rycroft area, have been charged with possession
for the purpose of trafficking and production of a controlled substance.

All three will appear in Grande Prairie provincial court Aug. 9.