NO GROW-OP DESPITE LOW HYDRO BILL

A raid by Vancouver police on a suspected marijuana home-grow operation
ended with apologies and handshakes when nothing was found. Now, the
householder will get a bill from B.C. Hydro.

Police secured a warrant to search the home of a Vietnamese family living
in the 5600-block of Inverness after being tipped by B.C. Hydro that the
electric bill for the home was unusually low, averaging $17 a month.

Police spokesman Scott Driemel said Friday that this is the first time that
such information has not resulted in a home-grow being busted. In other
cases, criminals have tampered with meters to steal electricity and hide
the large amounts of current needed for indoors cultivation.

Police handcuffed one member of the family of five, but Driemel said
officers eased the handcuffs so the captive was comfortable. Once no
marijuana plants were found, the sergeant in charge made his apologies and
shook hands with a family member.

Driemel said the electricity meter at the house had been interfered with.
"There may be a chance these people had no idea the meter had been tampered
with," he said.

Hydro spokeswoman Elisha Odowichuk said the family will be asked to pay the
calculated electricity deficiency.