MOUNTIES BUST $2.3M GROW-OP

Police are touting a multi-million-dollar marijuana grow-op raided by
Mounties near Rycroft as the largest drug bust in years for that area.

"It's the largest in probably a decade. At least a decade," said Sgt.
Paul Sowers of the Spirit River RCMP. "It was a fairly substantial
operation for northern Alberta."

Police discovered an estimated $2.3 million worth of pot after
executing search warrants Wednesday on rental properties about 10
kilometres southeast of Rycroft. Close to 4,000 marijuana plants were
seized, as well as 14 kilograms (31 pounds) of dried marijuana.

The plants were grown in plant beds in two greenhouses, with a system
of tarps to control the amount of light reaching the pot.

"These two greenhouses were jam-packed full of marijuana," said
Sowers.

A cabin a short distance away had been converted into a drying house,
with about $500,000 worth of dried pot found on racks inside.

The amount of organization suggests this was a professional grow
operation, said Sowers.

"It doesn't sound like it was their first attempt."

Police believe the grow-op had been running for at least six weeks,
based on the age of the dried plants found. But that's based on the
assumption that the dried plants were the grower's first crop.

"It could have been going for years," Sowers said.

Despite the size of the bust, Sowers said he doesn't think it will
make much of a dent in the overall supply of pot in the region. The
marijuana being grown could have been destined for sale elsewhere, and
there are likely other large grow-ops as-yet undiscovered in the Peace
Country.

"I don't think this is an isolated incident," he said. "I think it's
just one of many."

Information from the Central Peace community led to the bust, he said,
and is crucial for police to be able to build a case against pot growers.

"Without tips from the public these kinds of busts wouldn't be possible.

"It's not just information from one person. You need solid info to
justify a search. The courts are very strict on the requirements for a
search warrant."

Robert James Hendry, 29, and Angela Bernice Robinson, 31, were
arrested the day of the raid. James Darcey Slack, 45, was arrested on
a warrant Thursday. Slack and Robinson are believed to have moved to
the Rycroft area from Honeymoon Bay, B.C.

All three are scheduled to be in Grande Prairie provincial court
Monday to face charges of production of marijuana and possession of
drugs for the purpose of trafficking.

This is the second large pot bust in the Rycroft area this summer.
Mounties netted about $300,000 in drugs after raiding two indoor
operations south of the village July 7.

Colin Robert Lazoruk, 34, and Colleen Adrienne Killins, 41, are
scheduled to be in Grande Prairie court Aug. 11.

The Rycroft raid is the largest marijuana seizure so far this year in
the Peace Country, but the not the biggest ever.

RCMP seized close to $5 million in pot from a wooded lot north of
Valleyview in August 2002. Leroy Jones, 30, pleaded guilty to
cultivation of marijuana and was sentenced to 90 days in jail.