Pubdate: Sat, 04 Jan 2003 Source: Richmond Review, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2003 Richmond Public Library Contact: http://www.richmondreview.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/704 Author: Martin van den Hemel A Special Report: THE BATTLE FOR BUD With the battle for B.C. bud now routinely turning violent in Richmond neighbourhoods, sawed-off shotguns have replaced shoddy wiring as the primary public safety concern of local police tasked to clean up the city's growing marijuana problem. As locals sleep peacefully in their beds at night, as many as 20 groups of balaclava-bearing bandits, some clad in bullet-proof vests and brandishing loaded shotguns and machetes, routinely case houses in Steveston, South Arm and even Terra Nova, looking and sniffing for the green they hope will eventually line their wallets. In the fight for the lucrative marijuana crop, beatings and murder are more than ever part of the mix, a marked departure from only a couple of years ago, when the predominant fear was that a fire caused by amateurish electrical wiring could claim a life. It's no longer the threat of a fire, but rather innocent people being fired upon that has the head of Richmond RCMP's marijuana production unit worried for the public's safety. RCMP Cpl. Sanjaya Wijayakoon, head of Richmond's dedicated five-member marijuana squad, says the number of people breaking into grow ops, the type of weapons they carry, and the level of violence some of these people are willing to go to, would shock the public. He says marijuana growing operation rip offs, or grow rips, happen at least once per week in Richmond, which is home to at least 100 grow ops police have confirmed, and perhaps as many as 500 others based on tips from the public. Police intelligence indicates some better-organized groups are discussing on a nightly basis which Richmond addresses to hit. The hired hands or gardeners--paid between $3,000 and $5,000 per month to water and clip the plants-- are arming themselves with handguns, shotguns, machetes and home-made spears, with the intent of protecting the crops which can fetch upwards of $150,000 per year. GROW RIPS For them, condensation in a house's windows and the smell of marijuana seeping through an air vent is as good as a welcome mat, pointing the way to an easy pay-day worth thousands of dollars with virtually no risk of jail. For local police, it's part of a troubling trend they believe could eventually have deadly consequences for completely innocent bystanders. Commonly staking out Richmond's neighbourhoods in packs of four or five much as the police do, these thieves carefully survey houses for the tell-tale signs (the signature drone of blowers and fans heard through a window, curtains drawn all day) that a crop of marijuana is hidden inside. Then in the middle of the night, with one working as a lookout and another behind the wheel of the getaway vehicle, at least two others armed with tire irons, bear spray, even handguns and sawed-off shotguns, bust in, looking to walk away with garbage bags full of green. Although most aren't looking for violence, some of these bandits come prepared for the worst, wearing Kevlar vests and carrying cocked weapons in case they meet with resistance. It's all part of a high-stakes and violent drama being played out in Richmond on a nearly nightly basis as rival gangs battle high school teenagers and other criminals over the lucrative marijuana crop. Just last June, in a horrifying example of the type of danger the police and general public routinely face, a house at 10000 No. 2 Road--well known for being a grow-op--was struck again, this time by bandits who were armed to the teeth. Four men in their early 20s, armed with two sawed-off shotguns, bullet-proof vests and knives, were spotted by an alert neighbour as they were jumping over fences and then breaking into the distinctive white house at the corner of No. 2 Road and Williams. Police rushed to the scene and arrested the four men inside the home, fortunately without incident. "If they knew what was really happening out there, everybody in Richmond would be stunned," Wijayakoon told The Richmond Review this week from his office, where a map peppered with 100 red and black pins displays Richmond grow ops police either are certain exist (about 75) or have shut down (about 25). Police suspect there are as many as 500 grow ops currently running in Richmond. Not trying to be an alarmist, Wijayakoon said he simply wants the public to know what the police are up against, and what dangers the public are facing. These grow rippers run the gamut, from high school students trying to make a fast buck and armed only with bear spray and knives, to more seasoned criminals who pack serious firearms and are prepared for a deadly confrontation. It's only a matter of time before these bandits make a mistake, target the wrong house and hurt an innocent family, Wijayakoon said. Investigators already suspect some cases of mistaken identity in home invasions that have ended in assault and torture in Richmond over the past couple of years. But so far, nobody innocent has been killed. "I really believe it's a matter of time. That's what freaks me out." Wijayakoon sees this not as a battle with marijuana users, but rather as a fight to keep Richmond free of the violence that growers and rippers are capable of. The grow ops of today are sometimes secreted inside expensive homes using top-notch electrical workmanship and material. One prominent downtown Richmond penthouse was capable of growing up to 2,000 marijuana plants and had been in operation for about two years before police shut it down. Since he took over the unit in September, Wijayakoon said his squad has been averaging two grow-op kick-ins per week. If it weren't for the administrative paperwork and court follow-up, they could be doing many more busts as Richmond has no shortage of grow ops, he said. During his team's undercover surveillance, they have stumbled across the bad guys doing much the same leg work. Wijayakoon says these bandits are generally between 15 and 35 years of age, come from all parts of the Lower Mainland, and they are lured by the money. Break into a grow op and you can come away with $10,000 to $15,000 worth of marijuana. Not a bad night's work shared between four or five people, provided they can chop and dry the crop and find a buyer. More troubling than the increased frequency of the grow rips over the past two years--coinciding closely with the proliferation of these clandestine greenhouses--is the increase in violence. And with children now routinely found living with their parents inside these grow ops, and some grow ops located directly across the street from elementary schools, the possibilities are terrifying, Wijayakoon said. BULLET PROOF When something goes wrong with a grow rip, it can go very wrong. On Sept. 8, a 41-year-old Vancouver man who was apparently hired to tend a marijuana crop in a house on No. 4 Road, paid dearly for his labours. Four young males, between 16 and 19 years of age and armed with a nine-millimetre handgun allegedly broke into the house late one Sunday night with the intent of stealing the modest marijuana crop being grown inside. There was some sort of altercation and the Vancouver man was severely beaten, dying a few hours after police found him lying on the street in front of the house. Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder; another, a 17-year-old from Richmond, is charged with manslaughter. A combination of factors are making grow-rips attractive to both hardened criminals and their fledgling associates. Even if they are caught by police red-handed, in the midst of a break-in, grow rippers are likely to get off scot-free. Why? The victims of these break-ins rarely press charges because they would first have to admit to knowing about or growing the marijuana, a criminal offense. So without a complainant, that leaves police with little to work on and the likelihood of a drug-related conviction even fainter. These bandits are well aware of that going in and even consider the inconvenience and arrest the cost of doing business. RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Grant Learned said what's happening in Richmond is repeated in any area with an abundance of B.C. bud. The chances of making a big score with a grow rip are better than robbing a bank, and the bad guys know that too, Learned said. Banks have video surveillance and security features that make it difficult to get away with any substantial amount of cash. At the same time, landing a conviction is easier with a bank heist, making that all the more risky. Grow ops, on the other hand, are often much softer targets, commonly guarded by people who are unlikely to press charges. It was in October of 2000 when three young men, all aged 19 or 20, broke into the same older white house hit last June on No. 2 Road with the specific intent of snatching the house's marijuana stash, thinking the house was empty. A Vietnamese woman in her late 40s was inside, however, and she was severely beaten and sexually assaulted by one of the men, who was later convicted. While Richmond has been spared of innocent bystanders being victimized, Learned said that isn't the case in other Lower Mainland communities. "We're past that point. Innocent people have been victimized and have been killed. It's only a matter of time before one of these grow ops turns into a public battle between those inside and those trying to get inside." Those hired to keep an eye on these grow-ops seemingly know full-well about the risks. Learned said many of these gardeners express relief after they learn it is the police breaking into their front doors to raid the place, not the bandits who go as far as beatings, torture and even rape. So what can the public do to avoid becoming victim? Police say stronger relationships in neighbourhoods would give police an extra set of eyes and ears to help weed out marijuana growers. Neighbours that know one another well also know what looks out-of-place, such as an unfamiliar vehicle, or a group of unfamiliar teens roaming the area. Richmondites need to know that if they see something suspicious, anything at all, they should pick up the phone and call the police. It could be a call that will save the life of someone innocent. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh