RCMP CONFIRMS BIGGEST GROW-OP BUST IN MANITOBA'S HISTORY

It's something she'd expect from a large city but the biggest marijuana
grow-op in Manitoba history turned up a short distance from Ruby Bertholet's
rural doorstep this week.

"You always think when you live out here in the rural area that you're
immune to all this type of goings on," Bertholet said. "But here we are
living within two miles of it, and one of the largest ones ever in
Manitoba."

Officers swooped in Sunday and seized a record 13,200 marijuana plants in
various stages of growth from a small farm in the Rural Municipality of
Sifton near Oak Lake, 53 kilometres west of Brandon. Some plants stood as
high as five or six feet and the crop's value has been pegged at $13
million.

Thirty-five officers, including members of the RCMP emergency response team
and at least one Brandon Police Service officer, were involved in the raid
that stemmed from a tip last month.

"I guess it wasn't a huge surprise," said Bertholet. "You'd never see
anybody around. They had a chain across the driveway to the yard and they
didn't want to mix with anybody. . Why would you want a quarter section with
no livestock?"

But cops said it's too early to tell who planted the crop that lead to the
largest grow-op bust investigators can remember.

"As far as we know it's the biggest of its kind," confirmed RCMP Corp. Chris
Ballard. "They can't recall a bigger one."

One man has been arrested and Ballard said more might follow as Mounties
from the drug and major crime units continue their investigation.

"It's certainly a well-organized group to put together this size of a
grow-operation," said Ballard, who couldn't say where the crop would have
been distributed. "Whether it's related to any particular gang or not, I
don't think we can say at this point."

Jai Qi Gu, 46, from Scarborough, Ontario, is charged with production of a
controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance for the
purpose of trafficking. He's in custody pending a court appearance tomorrow.

The illegal plants will be destroyed once the prosecution is complete,
Ballard said.

The raided farm's fate is also in question as proceeds of crime
investigators are also on the case.

"They may be looking at seizing the farm or dealing with it as proceeds of
crime," Ballard said. "They'll be investigating the assets as part of the
overall investigation to determine who the owners are and whether they're
proceeds of crime or not."

Meanwhile, Mounties had to use a dump truck to cart away Saskatchewan's
biggest pot bust.

Police packed up 7,592 marijuana plants found Sunday growing in makeshift
greenhouses on a farm on the Pasqua First Nation, about 20 kilometres west
of Fort Qu'Appelle.

Six men ranging in age from 18 to 57 are in custody and due to appear in a
Fort Qu'Appelle courtroom tomorrow.