DRUG SEIZURE SHOCKS NEIGHBOURS

Residents of a quiet north Winnipeg neighbourhood say they were shocked to
learn that police seized nearly $1 million worth of marijuana at a
neighbouring house.

Winnipeg Police raided a house at [address deleted] in Garden City at 1:45
p.m. May 31.

They seized 781 marijuana plants worth an estimated $875,000.

They also removed $15,000 worth of hydroponic growing equipment.

Police spokeswoman Const. Shelly Glover said it was one of the biggest
hydroponic grow operations police have busted so far this year.

Glover said the entire 1,400-square foot, six-room house had been converted
into a grow operation.

Police charged a 30-year-old woman with cultivating marijuana and
possessing marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

Denis Bourgouin, who lives across the backlane from the house, said he and
his wife Jennifer were stunned after hearing about the bust.

"I'm blown away," Denis Bourgouin said. "Whenever I saw the man who lived
there he'd always say hi and wave and was super friendly. They seemed like
nice people."

Jennifer Bourgouin said she and her husband never noticed anything out of
the ordinary at the house.

She said it wasn't until they saw a large police van and several Manitoba
Hydro vehicles parked on nearby Pipeline Road last week that they realized
something was amiss.

Denis Bourgouin said an older Asian man and his wife lived in the house
with their daughter. He said they didn't see anyone enter or leave the
house for several days before the bust.

Another neighbour said several different people had lived in the house
since the original owner sold it about four years ago.

The man, who would only identify himself as Herlander, said he rarely saw
the most recent occupants other than when the husband was working in the yard.

He said police told him at least two or three crops had been harvested
prior to them raiding the house.

"Sure it worries me," the man said.

"This was a very nice neighbourhood. I never expected this to happen.

"Today you have to be careful. You've got to be careful of the people who
are moving in and who they are. What else can you do?"

Glover said vice officers were acting on information they received when
they executed a search warrant on Leila. She declined to say who tipped
them off.

The Leila grow op was one of four city police shut down last week. All four
operation appear to have links to Asian gangs.