DRUG BUST NOT END OF PROBLEM

Police Say to Keep Watch For Suspicious Activity

Burgessville residents and those of other small communities should continue
to watch for signs of marijuana growing operations in their neighbourhoods.

Despite the storming of a grow house in Burgessville last Wednesday, police
say growers are looking for inconspicuous locations to set up shop.

Oxford Community Police Service Detective Mike Martin said the bust at the
Main Street house was substantial - netting 181 plants and the assorted
equipment used to grow the crop.

The plants, which ranged in height from 18 inches to three feet, had a
street value of $181,000. With the cycle of plant growth, Martin said there
was a potential for $1.6 million worth of marijuana to be grown in that
house each year.

It could have been larger had the warrants taken longer.

"It looked like we interrupted somebody converting the whole house to a
grow," said Martin.

At the time, only the basement was being used for the operation.

A 65-year-old Vietnamese man was at the home at the time and was arrested
and charged with production of a controlled substance, possession of a
controlled substance and possession for the purpose of trafficking in a
controlled substance.

"We've been very fortunate in our jurisdiction with the ratio of occupants
found," said Martin. "Other jurisdictions aren't coming up with the ratio
of caretakers we are."

Martin said the man, a landed immigrant who speaks no English, was likely
only a caretaker of the plants. Although police ask the courts for 12 to 18
months in jail, the sentence may be a fine and probation for the caretaker.

The head of the operation is believed to be in the Greater Toronto Area
where things began, but have branched out to areas where the real estate
prices are lower, the communities are quieter and there is a perception of
less police coverage.

There is also suspicion that this operation is linked to others because of
similar characteristics at the scene, such as the wiring techniques, style
of cultivation and production of plants and consistent venting mechanisms.

Investigation into the Burgessville grow has been going on since May 25 and
was started based on tips and police investigation.

Members of the public are asked to continue to watch for suspicious
activity in their neighbourhoods. Some signs to watch for include poorly
maintained yards and in the winter, unshovelled driveways or roofs where
the snow is melted off while other homes have snow on them.

Home-based marijuana growing operations pose several threats to
communities, including black mould, chemicals and fires.

"I expect an increase in our activity in the fall because the outdoor grows
will be moved back inside," said Martin.

Residents should not be afraid of retaliation from the growers. Not only
are tips taken anonymously, but Martin said the growers are not violent to
the public.

"It would not be in their interest to hurt the public," he said. "So what
I'm getting as is it's not going to hurt the public to keep us informed."