Pubdate: Fri, 13 Apr 2001
Source: The Morning Star (CN BC)
4407 - 25th Ave., Vernon, B.C., V1T 1P5,  Fax: 250-542-1510
Website: http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/
Date: April 13, 2001
Contact:  Dan Ebenal

POLICE RAID FIVE GROW OPERATIONS

Police in Vernon seized about $750,000 worth of marijuana during a 
crackdown on five illegal grow operations over the past week.

Six people were arrested and 1,515 marijuana plants seized along with 
three pounds of dried marijuana buds, $1,500 worth of magic mushrooms 
and a double-barrelled shotgun.

The seizures are a result of raids on homes on the 200 block of North 
Aberdeen Road, 4700 block of 29th Street, 3400 block of Westside 
Road, 6300 block of Freeman Drive and 5600 block of Rimer Road 
conducted between April 4 and 11. Police say the grow operations are 
not connected.

"The size of the operations were relatively standard, with between 
157 and 500 plants at each," said Cpl. Red Leibel with the Vernon 
RCMP's investigation section.

"The quality (of the marijuana) was all very good. We run across very 
few poor-quality grow ops anymore."

Along with the high-quality marijuana, police also seized numerous 
items of growing equipment, including fans, lights and transformers 
used to convert 110-volt household electricity to 440 volts.

"That kind of electricity is needed to power the lamps. And if the 
insulation is not done properly, it can present a real danger. That's 
how these grow fires start," said Leibel.

"It's a dangerous situation, no doubt about it."

While Leibel said the seizures represent a sizable quantity of 
marijuana, he suspects it represents a drop in the bucket of what is 
out there.

"This is one of the areas, certainly, that is renowned for quality 
marijuana. But there's nowhere in this province where it can't be 
grown," he said.

"Common thinking is the reason B.C. is so busy is because of the low 
sentencing rules in comparison to some states in the U.S. But we've 
seen sentencing guidelines by Vernon area judges rise somewhat in the 
last several months. Jail sentences are becoming far more common."

Three males and three females, all from Vernon, are in Vernon Court 
on charges of production of marijuana. One of the males is also 
facing a charge of unsafe storage of a firearm.
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