GROW-OP HOUSE PURCHASED 3 YEARS AGO

PEMBROKE - Land registry records show the property on which a massive
marijuana grow operation was uncovered last week was bought about
three years ago.

Ontario Provincial Police are waiting to speak to the landowner and
are investigating whether the property, at 1970 B Line Rd., was leased
out, as they continue to seek "individuals that we're interested in"
after the discovery, said Det.-Sgt. Paul Henry, with the force's drug
enforcement section.

Records show the property, south of Pembroke, was bought by Viet Ha on
Nov. 1, 2005.

Unlike other plots of land on the busy stretch of road, there is no
name on the mailbox in front of the property, where police found more
than 40,000 marijuana plants on Thursday.

The plants were removed on the weekend. Police valued the seizure at
$40 million and said it was the largest marijuana grow operation in
Canadian history.

Nearby residents said a man who lived on the property didn't associate
much with others in the area.

John Mau, who lives on the road, said he saw an Asian man "a couple
times" at the mailbox. The driveway was often unplowed during the
winter, Mr. Mau said.

The property, which has been cleared by police, was quiet yesterday,
except for at least two dozen sheep that remained in a field beside
long rows of corn. The sheep are being looked after by animal care
officials, police said.

The seized plants were buried at a secure site, according to police.
They were found growing between stalks of corn and were irrigated by a
system of plastic pipes fed by a pond and an above-ground pool, police
said.

"We didn't have any evidence that would indicate that it had made it
out onto the streets," Det.-Sgt. Henry said, adding that police do not
know how long the site had contained a grow operation.

The bust, made after a tip from the public, surpasses a large grow
operation seen by the OPP in 2003, when officers seized more than
30,000 plants that had been grown inside abandoned brewery buildings
in Barrie.

"It's a very lucrative business," Det.-Sgt. Henry said. "We're seeing
more and more commercial-size operations."