MARIJUANA GROW LABS REACH NEW HEIGHTS

Police Seize 6,000 Pot Plants In North York Highrise

Three people have been arrested after police found marijuana grow labs
inside a North York apartment building.

Staff Insp. Donald Campbell, the unit commander of the drug squad,
said police executed five search warrants in the 13-storey building at
Sheppard Avenue at about 10 a.m. Thursday.

"During the execution of these warrants, it was discovered that more
apartments were possibly being used as clandestine soil-based
marijuana grow operations," said Campbell, adding "eleven other search
warrants were obtained and executed."

Police seized about 6,000 plants worth $6 million and 30 pounds of
dried marijuana worth $45,000.

Det. Sgt. David Malcolm, also of the drug squad, said the grow-ops
presented a fire hazard. "Public safety is a huge problem," he said.
"Now, there is no threat of fire because with Toronto Hydro, we turned
off the power to every single apartment that we executed a search
warrant on."

In April, a fire broke out in an apartment at the same building, home
to about 700 people. The burnt apartment also contained a marijuana
grow lab. There were no injuries.

During a news conference on Friday, police played a video showing two
apartments where search warrants were executed. "You can see the
1,000-watt light bulbs, and you can see all this aluminium venting,"
Malcolm told reporters while the five-minute video was shown. "The
cardboard box is over the mail slot in order to stop the smell from
going out."

Last year, Toronto Police busted about 250 marijuana grow labs. "We're
pretty much on par for the same number this year," Malcolm said. "The
trend we've been seeing is that they are using apartment buildings
because of the extremely high vacancy rate and its availability.
They're using them because they can get in."

The investigation, which began a few weeks ago, continues.

More arrests are expected, police said.