POT LAB FORCES LARGE BILL ON INNOCENT OWNERS

A Mississauga family has been hit with a $26,000 hydro bill because their
former tenants stole electricity to power and illegal marijuana lab.

The nightmare has left Amarbir and Arvinder Panjhazari with little choice
but to pay the bill. Enersource won't restore power to their house until
the company receives payment.

Their insurance company will cover repairs to their house, but not the
hydro bill. But without power, contractors can't fix the estimated $60,000
to $70,000 worth of damage.

"We had nothing to do with this but because we're the homeowners, they say
it is out responsibility," said Gagan Panjhazari, the owner's 22-year-old
son. "Even though hydro wasn't even in our names, it's our problem now."

Peel Regional Police have dismantled more than 220 residential drug labs in
Mississauga and Brampton and arrested more than 300 people during the past
14 months.

But the people who rented the Tridom Crt. house in March 2001 had already
skipped out when police came calling April 2.

"Unfortunately, unless they can track these people down and go after them
with civil court action, there's nothing they can do," said Superintendent
John Neilsen. "We have had an extremely difficult time tracking down the
occupants of rental properties in connection with these drug homes. Often
their information and references are bogus and their cellphones have been
disconnected."

Police said it is conceivable at least four crops were harvested in the
house with an estimated street value of $1.6 million.

The Panjhazaris didn't think there was anything unusual when they rented
the house through a real estate agent.

"They were supposed to be a couple with two young children," Panjhazari
said. "We found them through a legitimate real estate agent and their
references checked out."

Torstar Network