PROPERTY WORTH $900,000 SEIZED FROM MAN FACING POT CHARGES

HANOVER -- A Hanover man had $900,000 worth of property seized by police
yesterday after a lengthy proceeds of crime investigation.

Charles McLean, 43, was charged with drug offences in September 1999, after
police found approximately 180 kilograms of marijuana in his possession.

At that time, McLean was charged by London city police with two counts of
possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking, one count of
possession of cannabis resin and one count of proceeds of crime.

The day he was charged, the London RCMP proceeds of crime unit began an
investigation that led to the property seizure yesterday.

"You need a crime to have proceeds of crime," said Insp. Kevin Harrison,
the officer in charge of the unit.

The items seized yesterday included automobiles, farm equipment,
snowmobiles, televisions, furniture and a boat.

"We had reasonable, probable grounds to believe they were the proceeds of
crime," Harrison said.

Police are still investigating and expect to lay more charges in March or
April, Harrison said.

McLean is scheduled to appear in London court to face the other charges on
Dec. 11.

Proceeds of crime investigations compare tax records with an individual's
lifestyle to try to determine what may have been purchased with crime money.

"If they claim $6,000 as income for a year . . . and spent, say, $250,000,
then where did they get it?

"Either they possessed them through proceeds of crime or they lied (on
their tax return)," Harrison said.

If an individual is found not guilty of the crime, Harrison said proceeds
of crime evidence can still stand.