GROW-OP FOUND IN FORMER REC CENTRE

A man has been charged after RCMP seized more than 3,000 plants from a
marijuana grow-op in a former recreational centre in Ashcroft.

"The [former] racquetball courts were all converted over, floor to ceiling,
with a grow-operation," said Const. Jeff Bingley. "It was quite something."

Acting on a tip, police obtained a search warrant and raided the Copper
Courts building, which ceased operation as a rec centre about 15 years ago.

The production of pot started with seedlings and finished with the dried
product, said Bingley. In addition to the plants, police seized more than
27 kilograms of dried "bud" marijuana.

During the raid, an unidentified 32-year-old man, of no fixed address, was
taken into custody. He was later released on his own recognizance to appear
in court on charges of production of pot and possession for the purpose of
trafficking.

The investigation is ongoing and more arrests may be made, Bingley said,
adding that the registered owner of the building is a numbered account in
Vancouver.

In addition to the racquetball courts, the building had a swimming pool, a
weight-training room and a restaurant before it was sold in the mid-1980s.

Ashcroft Mayor Andy Kormendy said the building has changed ownership
several times.

At one stage, some people were living in the building and, later on, it was
used to store recreational vehicles, said Kormendy.

The building is located in an isolated area of Ashcroft, a village just
south of Cache Creek.