POSH GROW BUSTED

Pot House Found In Whyte Ridge

Here's a tip for anyone who owns a residential marijuana grow operation --
close your doors. A garage door that was left open and a front door that
was left ajar at a Whyte Ridge bungalow Wednesday night led police to a
grow op worth nearly $300,000.

"I guess they drove away and forgot to close the door," said a neighbour,
who didn't want to be identified.

Cops were called to a 1,569-sq.-ft. house at 86 Fleetwood Rd. about 11:30
p.m. after a neighbour reported the insecure residence.

No one was home at the time, but officers soon discovered the illegal drug
operation and seized 250 mature marijuana plants along with hydroponics
grow equipment.

Investigators from the vice division suspect the operation is linked to
Asian-based organized crime.

The owner of the house, assessed at $150,600 according to city records, was
being sought by police.

No arrests

No arrests had been reported by press time last night.

Residents of the affluent south Winnipeg neighbourhood said it's the fourth
grow op bust in Whyte Ridge this year.

"To find four of them here is amazing," said Bill Pooles. "It's a nice
neighbourhood."

"Why are they hitting Whyte Ridge?" asked Pooles' wife. "They must think
they can go unnoticed here."

On March 5, cops raided a bungalow at 43 Wittenberg Rd., where they
discovered a grow worth nearly $600,000.

On Feb. 4, police seized nearly $900,000 worth of pot and related equipment
from a house on Vineland Crescent.

Just prior to that, a grow op was discovered in a bungalow at 1021
Scurfield Blvd. in a raid that wasn't publicized.

Police said the operations on Wittenberg and Vineland were also believed to
have been connected to Asian gangs.

Neighbours said a young couple moved into the Fleetwood residence about a
year ago but had kept a low profile.

"I never saw anyone around," a neighbour said.