TOWNHOUSE COMPLEX RAID NETS 28 GROW OPS

Residents of Coquitlam's Crescent View townhomes weren't surprised by an
RCMP investigation that uncovered 28 grow ops in their complex last week -
they were relieved.

A resident of the townhouse complex who called The NOW on Friday morning
said it was about time police busted the grow ops, as residents had long
been aware of the foothold grow operators had in the area.

"Everybody's been so scared for so long," said the woman, who refused to
give her name. "People's lives have been in danger."

A total of 35 police officers, including the Marijuana Enforcement Team,
executed nine search warrants under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
in the Cape Horn Avenue complex Friday morning, netting a total of 2,181
plants - 1,036 pounds of marijuana.

"It's definitely the largest seizure that they have made since the team was
conceived in September," said Coquitlam RCMP Const. Dave Babineau.

Police descended on the townhomes after Nacel Properties Ltd., which owns
the 80-unit complex, went to the RCMP on Thursday.

Babineau said the complex's property managers were on scene when the bust
happened, and were helpful and compliant.

Nine of the townhomes searched contained active grow operations, with
plants inside. Nineteen others contained grow operations that had been
dismantled - plants and/or equipment removed - and police applied for
warrants to search these homes.

Babineau said 21 of the 28 homes had grow equipment inside. Nobody was home
in any of the suspect units at the time of the bust.

No hydro bypasses were found, which means the growers were paying thousands
of dollars to legitimately use the extra power required to grow marijuana.

"When you're making that kind of money, you can afford to pay it," Babineau
said.

Police were at the complex executing search warrants and cleaning out units
until 4 a.m. Saturday.

"A lot of hard work went into it, for sure," Babineau said. No arrests had
been made as of Tuesday, and the investigation continues.

- - with files from Simone Blais and

The Province