GROW HOUSE BUSTED

Police Seize About $300,000 Worth Of Marijuana From A North London House.

Stunned neighbours in a north London community watched yesterday as police
battered down the front door of a home and hauled out marijuana plants
worth $300,000. The two-storey house at 1840 Phillbrook Dr. blended well
into the middle-class neighbourhood north of Fanshawe Park Road and west of
Adelaide Street, the activities within not drawing much notice until a
tipster contacted police.

The community is the antithesis of a troubled neighbourhood -- and that's
the point.

"These operations are happening in every part of the city," Const. Paul
Martin said.

London police also found two other grow houses yesterday, including one
that was discovered by firefighters battling a blaze at a home on Huron Street.

The Phillbrook home used a sophisticated system to ventilate a growing area
in the basement, which was powered by a bypassed electrical line, Martin said.

Most neighbours said they suspected nothing.

The most notable thing about the couple who moved in a year ago was the
multi-day wedding celebration that took place last summer, neighbours said.

"I didn't have a clue. Did you?" one neighbour said to another.

"That's scary. A lot of kids are in the neighbourhood," another said.

One neighbour said she had her suspicions -- expensive cars that would be
beyond the budget of many young people were frequently stopped at the home.

"And they never put up the blinds. Never," she said.

Those subtle clues are often the first sign something may be amiss, police
said.

Signs of a grow operation include irregular traffic, windows blacked out or
covered in moisture and people coming and going at all hours.

Police, who had obtained a search warrant for the Phillbrook home, arrested
two people.

An apartment on Highland Avenue was searched and a person arrested after
marijuana plants worth $250,000 were seized.

The Highland operation appeared unconnected to the home on Phillbrook,
police said.

And firefighters battling a blaze at 709 Huron St. found a growing
operation that may have played a role in the fire, police said.

No one was injured and the cause remains under investigation.

The operations busted yesterday are typical of those found in years past,
but recent busts have been bigger.

In the last few months, London police have raided three grow operations
worth more than $1 million each.