PROJECT TARGETS GROW-OPS

A Kamloops RCMP pilot project intended to tackle the city's drug
problem has cracked down on 16 grow-ops in just more than a month.

Const. Brian Flanagan said Wednesday that a specialized team of five
officers, four general duty and one from the detachment's drug squad,
was assembled Oct. 4 in response to complaints from residents about
marijuana grow-ops in their neighbourhoods.

The team searched 16 homes in five weeks, made 20 arrests and seized
more than 3,000 marijuana plants and 100 pounds of dry bud, he said.

The most recent raid took place Tuesday night. More than 190 plants
were seized from a home in the Dunrobin area of Aberdeen.

"In excess of hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment related to
the grows was seized as well," Flanagan said.

Of the 16 residential searches, the smallest operation had 10 plants
with 50 pounds of dry harvested marijuana. The largest grows had more
than 700 plants in various stages of maturity.

"These were commercially operated illegal businesses for the sake of
profit," he said. "Many of these grows were tended to by persons not
living in the city of Kamloops.

"These people were very well organized given the amount of production
going on."

Investigators believe the drugs were being sold in the province and
into the United States.

The raids took place throughout the city and in various upscale
neighbourhoods, including Schubert Drive, Meadowland Crescent,
Hillside Drive and Raven Drive. Most of the homes were rental property
used specifically for growing marijuana, Flanagan said.

"A lot of people figure this takes place in the backwoods of Kamloops
or that it can't happen in their neighbourhood but it does.

"Some of these operations were in high-end residential areas. These
guys will go where ever they can find a house. No neighbourhood is
void."

All 20 suspects face charges of production of marijuana and possession
for the purpose of trafficking. Seven charges of theft of electricity
are also pending, he said.

Anyone with information regarding grow-ops is asked to contact
Kamloops RCMP