'SHROOM GROW-OP LIKELY A TRIAL RUN, SAY POLICE

A routine fire safety inspection rooted out a potentially dangerous magic
mushroom grow operation in a Coquitlam industrial park Wednesday.

Coquitlam RCMP, including more than 10 members of the police hazardous
materials team, raided a 1,500-square-foot warehouse at 202-115 Schoolhouse
St. Wednesday afternoon and removed dangerous chemicals and materials used
to grow hallucinogenic (psilocybin) mushrooms.

Cops were called to the warehouse after firefighters on a routine
inspection found four drums of hydrogen peroxide and trays of straw,
according to Coquitlam Fire Chief Doug Johnson.

"We had never seen anything like it before," he said.

Johnson said the building's owner was also concerned about activities
taking place in the building and helped the firefighters obtain entrance.

The firefighters immediately alerted police, who obtained a search warrant
for the building.

Cpl. Peter Markgraf of the Coquitlam RCMP said the psilocybin grow-op is
the first of its kind to be discovered in the Lower Mainland area and the
individuals involved may have been experimenting to determine whether there
was a market for the mushrooms.

"It was a very sophisticated multi-level operation which uses highly toxic
and dangerous amounts of chemicals," Markgraf said. "As well, during the
different stages of growth, hazardous spores are released into the air. As
a result of these dangers, a specialized haz-mat team was required to do
the search, seizure and disposal of the grow medium and chemicals."

Three Vancouver men aged 24, 49 and 52 were arrested at the scene. Charges
under the Controlled Drug and Substance Act are pending.

Hydrogen peroxide is extremely dangerous and explosive at high
concentrations, Johnson said. Fire safety inspections of all industrial and
commercial buildings are carried out annually, with several thousand visits
to businesses each year, according to the fire chief.