GROW OP HOUSES SEIZED

Surrey Pot Growers Lose Property

Two more pot growers have lost houses in Surrey.

The homes of Thi Che Nguyen, 45, and Lanh Thi Lam, 21, were ordered
forfeited after the two pleaded guilty in Surrey Provincial Court to
separate marijuana production charges.

Surrey RCMP found 1,100 marijuana plants worth $454,000 in the
basement of Nguyen's house at 15098 68 Avenue during a raid in March of 2004.

Officers seized 300 plants worth $517,000 from the basement of Lam's
house at 8518 Wildwood Place in April of 2003.

As well as losing their properties, Nguyen and Lam were handed
sentences that will be served under house arrest at other locations,
one year for Nguyen and nine months for Lam.

Over the last three years, six former grow ops worth about $2 million
have been seized in Surrey.

Police have applied to seize 12 more.

Money from the seizure of criminal assets go to the federal
government, which uses most of it to offset the $38-million annual
cost of the proceeds of crime units across the country.

Since legislation was passed in 1989 more than $200 million has been
collected by the federal government.

To report a suspected marijuana grow operation or any other illicit
drug activity call the Surrey RCMP Drug Tip Line at 604-599-7771 or
Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).