20 GROWN OPS, 12,700 PLANTS IN SIX MONTHS

Police in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows took down a record number of
marijuana grow operations, dismantling a total of 20 and seizing more
than 12,700 plants in the past six months.

The organized sweep by the Ridge Meadows RCMP's marijuana enforcement
team, comprised of three officers, has seen 23 people arrested since
April and charges approved against 20 of them.

"Based on numbers ... this initiative is successful," said Cpl. Ryan
Schlecker. "There are numerous active investigations which should
result in further grow operations being dismantled this year."

Between April 1 and October 21 last year, there were just 12 grow
operations dismantled, garnering 15 arrests and eight charges.

Schlecker said the detachment has received numerous tips about growops
from the public. It was those tips that sparked most of the
investigations.

"These tips required investigation to substantiate whether they were
viable. Before the [marijuana enforcement team], much of this
responsibility was left with general duty members."

Since general duty officers are primarily first responders, they were
not able to keep up with the volume of tips being reported and many of
them were left for "informational' purposes only.

Schlecker said since the marijuana team was created, its officers have
been able to dedicate their expertise and resources to these
investigations, ensuring that every single tip has been addressed.

The sheer volume of grow operations identified in both municipalities
has police pointing to possible links to organized crime.

"In this sense, crime is a business, and operates as other businesses
would. Like contractors, a particular crime group will have sub
contractors who do all the growing in different communities,"
Schlecker said. "The sub-contractors, in this case the grow operators,
use the criminal organization and their contacts to sell the product,
in this case marijuana, throughout Canada, the U.S. or elsewhere."