MUSHROOM PROBE GOES ON

North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP are continuing their investigation into the
detachment's first discovery of a "magic mushroom" growing operation.

The plug was pulled earlier this week on a large-scale production
spread through several buildings on a rural Duncan property. No one
was on the property when police arrived, and no arrests have been made.

Const. Jennifer Prunty said officers carrying out a search warrant at
the property found indications of organized crime involvement in the
operation.

"It was quite sophisticated," she explained.

Growing the mushrooms involves the combination of spores and grain to
help create a chemical process, Prunty said.

Officers seized hallucinogenic psylocibin mushrooms, commonly called
magic mushrooms, still in the growing stage and valued at about
$65,000 on the street. They also found close to one kilogram of dried
mushrooms with an estimated street value of $13,000, and several items
that pointed to a previously harvested indoor crop of marijuana.