POT OPERATION MAY BE SIGN OF THINGS TO COME

A marijuana growing operation bust that resulted 49 arrests on March 5
was the biggest pot takedown in Mission's history.

However, Mission RCMP Corp. Murray Power said it could just be the
beginning.

"I highly suspect there are more of these out there," he said Tuesday.

The March 5 incident occurred on Barrett Street, a dead-end road
connected to Silverhill Avenue in Silverdale. Police barged into a
two-storey barn and caught the workers red-handed.

"They all had piles of plants in their laps as we came in the door,"
said Power, a Mission RCMP officer since 1989. "They were all busy."

"They were nervous," he said. "They did exactly what they were told to
do, which was excellent. That way the situation didn't escalate. They
were stunned and very scared, shocked to say the least."

Police and B.C. Hydro workers were shocked by the elaborate setup in
the barn. It had 12 industrial-size air conditioners and 230- to
1,000- watt lights inside each of the two growing rooms.

Power said the electrical consumption for the lights alone was
equivalent to that of 70 houses.

"It was the most efficient and effective operation I've ever seen," he
said.

Power said the 3,000 plants seized were either heading to another part
of Canada or into the United States.

"They weren't going to Mission, I can guarantee you that," he said.

It's the second time in four months Mission RCMP officers have
dismantled a major pot operation.

In November they found a 3,000-plant operation in a remote area by
Stave Lake. In that case, the building caught fire and the workers
fled before police arrived. "It's something we're starting to see more
of," said Power.

He estimates the workers in both cases were employed on a part-time
basis "unless somebody has enough contacts to keep them busy."

"All I can do is guess that [recruiting workers] would be word of
mouth," he said. "If [you] bring somebody into the fold you're
accountable for them."

Power said the number of pot operations Mission RCMP officers are
finding is becoming detrimental to other parts of society that need
service.

"Guys are coming across them constantly," he said. "General duty
officers are getting double the workload and our community is getting
half the service."

Power was hesitant to say what a possible solution could be. When
asked about sentencing for marijuana offenders he said, "We're just
not allowed to comment on sentencing."

Asked if legalizing marijuana would solve the problem, he said, "I'm
not going to go down that road either. It's a complex issue."