TWO MORE WEST-END GROW-OPS BUSTED

Discovery of Lewis Estates Indoor Marijuana Farm Led to Wednesday's
Raids

EDMONTON - The discovery of a marijuana grow operation in upscale
Lewis Estates earlier this week led police to raid two other west-end
homes on Wednesday.

Officers seized 400 to 500 marijuana plants worth about $500,000 from
the basement of a house at 9008 187th St.

Nine blocks away, at 9820 188th St., panicked pot growers had already
cleared the house of plants, said RCMP Cpl. Lorne Adamitz. But there
was still evidence of a grow operation inside.

No arrests were made because no individuals were found in the homes.
But Adamitz said charges are pending.

On Monday, three people were arrested and 557 plants were seized from
the home at 112 Phillips Row in Lewis Estates.

When Mavro Maras watched the bust on the television news, she said she
thought about calling police with suspicions about her neighbour's
home on 188th Street.

"We knew there was something wrong," she said. "It was
obvious."

Since December, when new residents moved into the house, Maras noticed
cars coming and going. Indoor lights were likely set on a timer
because they always came on at the same time, she said.

Luc Boisvert said he never suspected his next-door neighbours on 187th
Street were growing pot. They moved in about seven months ago.

Adamitz, a member of the joint RCMP and Edmonton police Green Team,
said grow operators choose to set up shop in high-end residential
neighbourhoods where they won't attract attention.

"The more upscale it is, the less people suspect a marijuana grow
operation," he said. "The common philosophy is, 'Oh, not in my
neighbourhood.' "

Adamitz said the grow operations discovered Wednesday were just as
sophisticated as the one found in Lewis Estates. All used
state-of-the-art equipment and ventilation systems. The plants were at
various stages of growth, indicating continuous production cycles.

Holes were smashed through foundations so power could be tapped
through live lines to avoid meters.

A lack of furniture indicated no one permanently lived in the homes,
said Adamitz. "Crop sitters" may have been hired to occupy the properties.

Despite the recent busts, Adamitz said it has been difficult to put a
dent in the marijuana business.

"It's a cat-and-mouse game and we try as hard as we can. We run
constantly. But marijuana grow operations are pervasive and we're just
trying to keep up with them."