CITY POLICE BUST POT-CLONING RING

Police raiding a neighbourhood marijuana grow operation made a
surprising discovery -- the suburban home was being used as a pot-
cloning factory.

Police raided a house in the 100 block of Citadel Crescent Green in
the city's northwest Thursday morning, seizing 740 pot plants, worth
$900,000 on the streets.

But police also discovered over 200 tiny clones soaking in water,
ready to be sold for $5 each.

Clones -- clippings from potent pot plants -- are used as a speedy
start for sprouting new illegal grow operations.

Clone factories are still rare here but are becoming more
common.

"They were clearly going to another grow op," said Const. Bryce Long,
a Sundre Mountie seconded to the Southern Alberta Marijuana
Investigation Team.

Police seized hundreds of plants packed into the suburban home's
basement. They were in three different growing stages, with some ready
for harvesting within a few weeks.

The house was being used by "crop sitters" -- people who tend to the
pot plants but don't live in the homes. However, police found
children's toys and the barest of basic comforts -- a mattress on the
floor.

The house, which sits on a cul de sac that's home to several families,
was likely bought by drug dealers as a secret growing lab that was
used for the past year, police said.

No one was home when officers swept in to seize the illegal cannabis
crop. However, police said they have a suspect.

The police "green team" has turned up the heat on marijuana crops,
which are largely cultivated by organized crime groups. Criminals are
setting up elaborate operations that sometimes include traps for
trespassers.

Police are devoting more city and RCMP officers to finding them, and
are busting nearly five houses a week, seizing lucrative crops and
expensive growing equipment.

Investigators are predicting 2004 will be another record year for pot
seizures in Calgary.

In 2003, police seized more than $50 million of illegally grown dope.
They said it was only a fraction of what's being grown in the city.

Since the fortified regional team launched its attack on home grow
ops, tips from the public fed up with criminals in their
neighbourhoods have become the group's greatest crime-solving advantage.

To phone in a tip, call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).