Pubdate: Thu, 08 Sep 2005
Source: Bancroft This Week (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005, OSPREY Media Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.bancroftthisweek.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3853
Author: Sheryl Loucks
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

POT SMOKERS FACE ANOTHER DINT IN SUPPLY AS POLICE MAKE $11 MILLION MARIJUANA
BUST

Marijuana is a bumper crop this year in the Bancroft area police
discovered during another massive drug bust.

The OPP's drug enforcement team, Longarm, which is comprised of
officers from Belleville, Bancroft, Quinte West, Centre Hastings and
Prince Edward detachments, has been busy this summer. Police say the
illegal growing of marijuana in the Bancroft area has been long
standing but this year seems to be yielding a higher number of crops
- -- or certainly the police are finding more than they have in the past.

This week, the OPP announced that one person was arrested during a
drug investigation that led to the seizure of 11,000 marijuana plants,
with an estimated street value of $11 million. Police base these
estimates on street value on the market. One pound of processed
marijuana is currently selling for at an average price of $1,550 per
lb.

This latest seizure is the second this summer in the Coe Hill area and
comes two weeks after an additional 40,000 marijuana plants were
seized from different locations. This most recently discovered illegal
growing operation was being conducted at a residence on Lower Faraday
Road in the Township of Wollaston.

The police were able to arrest, without incident, Xiang Gen Li, a
34-year-old Scarborough man. He will be facing several drug related
charges. The investigation continues.

Const. Jim Eadie says that, to his knowledge, this operation was not
being conducted in co-operation with other grow operations the OPP
have uncovered this summer.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin