DRUG WAR RESULTS IN GROW HOUSE SEIZURES

It's a Sign of Things to Come, Say Police

During a press conference at city police headquarters, Monday, officials
with Project Longarm, Belleville and Ontario Provincial Police agencies
announced the seizure of two $200,000 east-end homes under the Controlled
Drugs and Substances Act -- the first time such a seizure has been made in
the Quinte region.

The homes, which are located at 116 Hickory Grove and 48 Hemlock Cres. in
the new Stanley Park subdivision, were used to grow substantial amounts of
marijuana, which police believe was primarily destined for the United States.

Seated beside Insp. Garry MacPherson of the Ontario Provincial Police,
Tanner said he is "simply thrilled with the good work that has been done by
members of Project Longarm," in relation to the bust.

Members working with the joint-forces drug enforcement team -- which is
comprised of officers from the Ontario Provincial, Belleville and Quinte
West police services -- kicked in the door of the Hickory Grove home during
the early morning hours of Dec. 17 and arrested Belleville residents Thuan
Tran, 24, and Hao Tran, 20.

Shortly thereafter, officers drove less than an kilometre to the Hemlock
Crescent address where, after executing a search warrant, they found
30-year-old Hung Tran of Belleville hiding inside a major marijuana growing
operation in the basement of the residence.

A search of the homes revealed two elaborate marijuana growing
laboratories, with more than 1,000 mature marijuana plants, 100 clones and
a quantity of processed marijuana. Officers also seized $835 in cash, 76
high-intensity lighting assemblies, a 2000 Plymouth mini-van, lawn mower,
snowblower and several household appliances.

Officials with Longarm estimate the total value of the drugs and property
seized to be more than $1 million, explained Tanner.

In addition, investigators discovered both home operations were being
operated by stolen electricity, which was disconnected by Veridian
officials shortly after the raids.

Tanner pegged the value of the electricity stolen to power the two growing
operations to be more than $28,000 since the homes were purchased in 2002.

The three -- who immigrated to the Toronto area from Vietnam about 10 years
ago before moving to the Quinte area in 2002 -- appeared before the Ontario
Court of Justice on several drug-related charges. As they were appearing on
the charges, the OPP's Proceeds of Crime Unit launched a parallel
investigation with respect to the homes used while the offences were
committed, noted MacPherson, who is the manager of community and municipal
policing with the provincial police.

Thuan Tran and Hao Tran are brothers, he explained, while Hung Tran is a
family friend.

Hung Tran was sentenced to 12 months in jail after pleading guilty to
charges of production of marijuana and theft of hydro electricity.

Hung Tran, who purchased the Hickory Grove home shortly after it was built
in March 2002 for $199,644.59, was forced to forfeit the home and a number
of items seized inside, valued at $60,000.

Thuan Tran and Hao Tran, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to production of
marijuana and other criminal offences. In addition to the residence at
Hemlock Crescent -- which Hao Tran purchased in November 2002 for
$204,823.89 -- police also seized several household appliances,
electronics, tools, hydroponic growing equipment and two diamond rings
valued at approximately $25,000 each. The total value o assets removed from
the home is more than $100,000, MacPherson said.

Hao Tran was sentenced to nine months in prison, while Thuan Tran was
handed a 12 month sentence, a $10,000 fine and is prohibited from entering
any casino in Ontario. Police say during the investigation it was revealed
that Thuan Tran allegedly used casinos to exchange currency on several
occasions, in order to launder marijuana cash.

The items and homes were seized as offence-related property under the
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, MacPherson explained, where any asset
that is instrumental in commission of an offence can be seized by the
police on behalf of the Attorney General of Ontario.

The property will be managed for 30 days, he said, before it is put up for
sale or auctioned off.

While neither MacPherson or Tanner would elaborate on how Project Longarm
officers were tipped off to the growing operations, Tanner noted that "...
it would be fair to say that in these investigations there are a lot of
tips from the public."

Tanner did note that similar homes -- which are purchased and used solely
for growing marijuana -- are "cropping up everywhere," and are geared to
primarily ship Canadian-grown pot to United States distributors.

Pot producers are moving away from using farmer's fields to cultivate their
marijuana purchasing homes, stealing hydro and modifying the interior of
the homes in an effort to conceal their craft, Tanner explained.

As for the east-end homes, Tanner acknowledged that "these are... cells of
larger organizations that have the means to transport large quantities (of
marijuana) across the border."

He would not elaborate as to which organization, if any, the three arrested
are affiliated with, but said the majority of similar operations are
located in and around the Greater Toronto Area.

By seizing the property, in addition to the prison sentences handed over to
the three, Tanner said police investigators are sending a "clear and
concise message" to drug producers in the region.

"We don't want them here... period."