POT GROWERS STEALING ELECTRICITY, FIRMS SAY

Biker gangs and others cultivating marijuana on a large scale in so-called
grow houses are stealing as much as $500-million in electricity by
bypassing meters, Andrew Evangelista, a lawyer representing electricity
distribution utilities, said yesterday.

Mr. Evangelista said police estimate there are as many as 10,000 houses in
the Greater Toronto Area where marijuana is grown on a large scale in
basements or behind blocked windows.

"There are significant dollars that are being stolen across Ontario. This
is not a small theft issue," he said.

The power is used for lights, heat and water pumps in the hydroponic
operations.

"There has been a proliferation of residential houses hidden in residential
neighbourhoods all across Ontario being used to grow marijuana," he said.

He made his comments at a Queen's Park news conference where Liberal MPP
Michael Bryant called on the provincial government to give police resources
to seek out and shut down these operations.

The electricity thefts add between $3 and $5 a month to the average
consumer's bill as electricity distributors try to make up for their
losses, Mr. Bryant said.

Police officers who have been fighting the rapid proliferation of these
operations say that they are run by biker gangs and other groups linked to
organized crime, Mr. Bryant said.

"There is an estimate that Vancouver has 10,000 grow operations. . . . That
estimate coincides with the police estimate for Metro Toronto," Mr.
Evangelista said.