POT BUST: 3,642 PLANTS, FOUR GROW-OPS, NINE ARRESTS

A staggering $3.6 million worth of marijuana was seized from four
London residences yesterday in the largest bust of its kind in the
city this year.

Nine Londoners, who all know each other, are charged.

"It's the largest seizure of connected grow operations (in London),"
said Const. Amy Phillipo.

Police found sophisticated grow equipment in the north- and west-end
homes at 859 Apricot Dr.; 393 Richmeadow Rd.; 403 Brunswick Ave.; and
1302 Blackmaple Dr.

The Brunswick address had the most marijuana inside -- 1,196 plants,
she said.

Patrick Fagan, who lives nearby on Brunswick Avenue, said he had no
idea plants were being grown there.

"They didn't cause any trouble -- no wild parties," he said. "(But) we
thought it was strange when . . . they covered up all the windows in
the house."

A sign on the door of the two-storey, red-brick home says it's closed
because of grow-op safety concerns.

The house, bought last summer in a new development, looked lived in --
there was a newspaper on the porch next to a shovel and a bag of road
salt.

Police found a total of 3,642 plants at the four addresses, worth
about $3.6 million. Each plant is worth about $1,000.

Heaps of the plants were packed into garbage bags at police
headquarters yesterday, where they're being stored.

Each of the dozen bags contained 70 to 90 plants.

Small amounts of ecstasy and codeine were also taken from the
Brunswick Avenue location, and some codeine was found at the
Richmeadow Road residence.

Four vehicles were also seized. During the month-long investigation,
police found each residence was also stealing hydro.

It's "more than likely" that there has been a single bust in the city
larger than this one, Phillipo said, though she couldn't say when that
might have been.

The bust is the largest same-day marijuana seizure since at least
January 2007, according to online police records.

This year, police have busted 34 marijuana grow-ops totalling $11.5
million, said Det. Supt. Ken Heslop. That's spiked from only $4.5
million last year.

"It's a growing industry for sure. We could have a team doing nothing
but grow-op (investigations)," he said.