Pubdate: Fri, 27 Apr 2001 Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB) Copyright: 2001 The Calgary Sun Contact: http://www.canoe.ca/OttawaSun/home.html Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/67 Author: Peter Smith POT BUST TOTAL EXCEEDS $2M April's Mark Double The Monthly Goal Calgary's pot-busters who vowed to wipe out $1-million worth of marijuana in the city every month have just topped the $2-million mark for April. Members of the city police drug unit Green Team raided a home at 3026 26 Ave. S.E., where they hit a sophisticated marijuana grow. "We seized starter plants, full-grown plants, plants that were cropped out and some in bud," said Det. Gord Renke, head of the Green Team. "We hit this grow just before he was going to take it all to market." HANDGUNS SEIZED Detectives put the street value of the seized marijuana at $150,000, which lifted the team's seizures for April over the $2-million mark. Officers also seized two handguns from the home, but no arrests were made. It's thought the growing operation had probably produced some earlier crops before being detected. The drug unit is expanding the number of officers being trained for the fight against the flourishing marijuana-growing industry in the city. OFFICERS ADDED "We are circulating officers through the Green Team, and ... there are three new officers on the present team," said Renke. In March, Renke set the new target for his men to wipe out $1-million of marijuana a month. In the first week, a joint city police and RCMP bust took $2-million worth of drugs off city streets. But police realize the size of the problem they face, knowing if they take $12-million worth of marijuana off the streets a year, they still won't put a dent in the city-wide production. One police estimate is $20-million worth of marijuana is under lights in city basements, but the figure could be higher. At least 200 potential drug-growing homes have been reported to police, but they don't know how many more have gone unreported. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom