Pubdate: Wed, 04 Jun 2003 Source: Tri-City News (CN BC) Copyright: 2003, Tri-City News Contact: http://www.tricitynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1239 Author: Janis Cleugh POMO HOUSES TARGETED IN POT RAID Pot growers in Port Moody were put "on notice" this week after police found $1 million worth of marijuana in six upscale homes Thursday. The grow operations were located within a one-block radius from each other in a new, expensive neighbourhood on Heritage Mountain. Const. Brian Soles of PoMo Police said the three homes on Firview Place, the two homes on Ashwood Drive and the house on Wildwood Place are valued at around $500,000 each. PMPD expects to uncover more grow ops in the next few weeks. "We are giving marijuana cultivators notice," Soles said. "The price of doing their business just went sky high in Port Moody." Pot growers were unheard of in the suburbs until a few years ago and many are not local residents, Soles said. Last October, PoMo city council passed a bylaw that would shift the costs of grow op clean-ups from the taxpayer to the owner of the property where the grow op was found. Any former grow-op home without the proper permits or inspection may be deemed unsafe. And the city also is keeping a record of homes where grow-ops have been located, which could have a bearing on the future sale of the home, Soles said. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake