'NICE HOUSE' HID HUGE STASH

The RCMP-city police Green Team raided a house in the ritzy Carter Crest
neighbourhood in southwest Edmonton yesterday, seizing $700,000 in
marijuana plants. The police team swooped in on the suspected marijuana
grow operation at 99 Cormack Cresc. around 4 a.m.

"It's a really nice house, so it was surprise," said city police Det.
Darren Derko. "It looked as if people were living there and there were cars
in the garage.

"There wasn't too much damage to the house either. They'd put plastic
sheeting down."

The house at Cormack Crescent was rented earlier this year, he said. The
basement rooms had been converted into a grow operation, with around 20
lamps to help cultivate around 700 pot plants.

Police value the lamps and other grow equipment at around $15,000. The
value of the plants is estimated at $700,000.

Derko said police made their move yesterday, fearing the occupants of the
house realized it was under observation. Four men were arrested. One had a
New York address.

Cops said earlier this year that there is evidence of a growing U.S.
connection with local pot cultivation operations. Thousands of U.S. dollars
were recovered during raids on four grow operations and three associated
homes in Mill Woods in April.

Detectives say brownouts in a neighbourhood can point to a grow operation
in the area and substantial humidity buildups on windows are also a good
indicator of illegal activity.

Strange smells and covered windows may also give away grow operations.

Last month, a home at 8323 42 Ave. was declared unfit for human habitation
after being raided by the Green Team.

The condensation from the hothouse atmosphere needed for a large-scale
grow-op often causes a lot of damage to homes.

Sek Sng Wong, 42, of Edmonton; Te Cuong, 41, of Surrey, B.C.; De Chang
Shih, 36, of Vancouver; and Nam Tuong Hoang, of Woodhaven, New York, have
each been charged with production of marijuana, possession for the purposes
of trafficking, theft of electricity, and possessing the proceeds of crime.