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. - --- MAP posted-by: Kirk Bauer