HIGH, NEIGHBOUR

Pot Plants Seized From 2 Markham Rental Homes

MARKHAM -- Two houses next to each other in a quiet suburban neighbourhood
north of Toronto were raided by narcotics officers yesterday in an ongoing
blitz against hydroponic marijuana labs.

But York drug cops don't know if the people who rented the houses on
Bellside Dr., in the McCowan Rd.-16th Ave. area, knew each other or if they
realized they had each set up a grow operation.

In one house, police cut down 560 plants, while 449 were seized in the other.

Drug and Vice Det. Mike Klemm said, although one of the homes didn't have
any furniture, raiding officers did find children's shoes in the foyer.

A couple lived in the other house.

The indoor marijuana business has become a plague, claiming an estimated
one in every 100 homes in Markham, Klemm said as he pointed through two
houses on Bellside to another house a block away which police raided Tuesday.

All three are within four blocks of York's 5 District station.

The raids are part of a 60-day long blitz called Operation Grow Stop. Since
its launch date Feb. 17, two teams of detectives have been identifying two
grow operations per day and then raiding them at a rate of one a day.

The project so far has claimed 3,666 plants, worth about $1,000 each on the
streets, boosting the annual take so far to 9,030 plants.

A total of 14 people have been arrested so far, half during the operation.

Drug and Vice Det.-Sgt. Mark Grant said organized crime is the driving
force behind the proliferation of grow operations and made it Ontario's
third most valuable agricultural business, behind only the beef and dairy
industries.

"The problem is firmly entrenched in York Region," he said, adding the
current blitz is only the first of many more.

ASIAN GANGS

Police said Asian crime gangs are believed to be the major players in
Ontario, while other gangs, such as bikers, are prevalent in other regions.

His greatest concern, however, is safety, saying growers divert electricity
often in unsafe conditions, making homes potential fire hazards and
improperly grounded connections could electrify the surrounding ground
around the home.

Fumes created by the grows also cause moulds to grow in the houses, and
some homes have to be gutted to be made ready for habitation.

Markham Hydro's Ed Benvenuto said the utility found more than 200 power
diversions last year.

Hydro's hunt for the dangerous diversions usually leads police to the
homes. But before police can move in because of the backlog, hydro cuts off
the power for safety reasons and demands payment for the stolen hydro.

The utility has been able to recover $1.2 million in stolen hydro.