BUST NETS MAJOR MARIJUANA HAUL

Sunshine Coast RCMP Took Down A Major Marijuana Grow Operation,
Seizing 1,300 Plants In Gibsons.

On Tuesday, Dec. 22, RCMP executed a search warrant at a home in the
Gibsons area.

"This was a sophisticated marijuana grow operation, which involved a
significant theft of electricity from BC Hydro," said Cpl. Don
Newman. "No arrests were made at the time of the search, but
investigation continues and charges are expected."

Newman said the home owners are not believed to be Sunshine Coast residents.

According to Newman, this is the third marijuana grow operation
search warrant executed in the Langdale/Gibsons area in the past
month. In all three investigations, the documented home owners are
believed to be non-residents of the Sunshine Coast.

Newman said police are investigating the possibility that the three
residences may be linked and/or associated to Asian organized criminal groups.

"RCMP view marijuana grow operations as posing significant threats to
public safety," said Newman. "These threats include an increased risk
of fire and violence associated to criminal elements 'ripping'
[stealing the product of] the grow operation. As most of these grow
operations occur in residential areas, these 'rips' place the public
at great risk as firearms are often utilized by the criminal element
responsible."

Sunshine Coast Regional District directors took great interest in the
three recent busts at the Jan. 4 policing committee meeting and asked
Sgt. Russ Howard if this is part of a new trend.

Howard confirmed rural areas around the Lower Mainland are noticing
an uptick in the number of grow op busts, and stepped up enforcement
in the cities is a likely factor.

"The bylaws and enforcement they are doing in the [Metro Vancouver]
area, specifically around hydro bypasses, they're so proactive in
their enforcement, especially in Vancouver, it's driving these people
out of the area and into the outlying communities," Howard said.

He said the yields from these grow ops are typically distributed
through organized crime networks.

Howard said there is also a growing number of legal grow ops,
sanctioned by Health Canada to grow medicinal marijuana, which are
not required to register with the RCMP. He said those grow ops are at
risk of being raided either by RCMP with a search warrant or by
organized crime members looking for a quick haul of drugs.

RCMP encourage anyone with information on any possible marijuana grow
operation and/or any other criminal activity to contact police at
604-885-2266 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

- - With files from Brent Richter