CANADA GOING TO POT

Blitz Nets Crops Worth $60M

Hydroponic marijuana plantations are so prolific across Canada that cops
could bust as many as there are officers to kick in doors, police said
yesterday.

"It's entrenched," said Staff-Sgt. Gary Miner of the York Regional Police.
"There are 168 addresses in York Region that we know about that are active
hydroponic labs. It's a matter of chipping away at the pile."

Miner and other high-ranking cops from around the GTA were speaking
yesterday at a news conference to announce the results of a two-week survey
of dope seizures coast to coast, which wrapped up April 30.

"It's not an extra operation. It's a day in the life of drug cops across
the nation," OPP Det.-Supt. Jim Hutchinson said. "There was not a lot of
extra resources expended. It's a counting of what we've been doing for the
past two weeks."

More than 60,000 plants worth an estimated $60 million, hundreds of kilos
of dried marijuana and smaller amounts of other drugs were seized during
208 searches by dozens of Canadian police forces .

As well, three sets of body armour and dozens of weapons were found.

Miner said so much marijuana is being grown in Canada that it's the third
most valuable agricultural product in the country.

'VERY LENIENT'

"I believe the majority of it is produced for export," he said. "You can't
have all Canadians consuming this much marijuana."

Niagara Regional Police Insp. Ivan Madronic said most winds up in the U.S.

"The fact that here in Canada sentences are very lenient compared to the
other side, it's beneficial for them to grow their product here and ship it
over there," Madronic said.

Organized crime is behind most of the grow operations, which exact a huge
toll in stolen hydro and wrecked houses.

As well, the criminals are taking more and more aggressive steps to protect
their crop from theft and damage, often by booby-trapping the homes.

Police charged 255 people across the country with 369 offences in the blitz.