Pubdate: Thu, 15 Sep 2005
Source: Brandon Sun (CN MB)
Copyright: 2005, Brandon Sun
Contact:  http://www.brandonsun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2437
Author: Ian Hitchen
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy)

COPS RAID ANOTHER GROW-OP - NO ARRESTS MADE BUT RCMP
SEIZE 4,400 MARIJUANA PLANTS IN ALONSA-AREA FIELD

Large-scale outdoor marijuana operations are a growing trend, Manitoba
Mounties say, in the wake of a third rural pot farm bust in as many
weeks.

About 30 officers raided a Rural Municipality of Alonsa farm Tuesday
morning and seized 4,400 plants growing in a field.

"There's been a lot seized in the last month," said RCMP Sgt. Steve
Colwell, noting the tally for the three raids is 25,100 plants with a
potential street value of more than $25 million.

Head of Manitoba's RCMP drug section, Staff. Sgt. John Fleming, said
the busts are based on public tips and at this time in the growing
season, pot plants are easier to spot.

Officers with the Amaranth RCMP and other nearby detachments, drug and
major crime sections and the emergency response team were involved in
the search that started at about 7:30 a.m.

Unlike the other recent raids, no arrests were made as no suspects
were found at the scene. Police are still trying to locate those
responsible for the grow-op and Staff Sgt. Jean Cormier of the
Westlake RCMP detachment said the farm was bought in May and it
appears two men had been living there.

The Mountie's harvest season began Aug. 21 with a raid at a farm near
Oak Lake, which was purchased in April, where they found 13,200
marijuana plants said to be worth $13 million, the biggest bust in the
province's history.

They followed that up with the province's second-biggest bust at an
Arden-area farm on Sept. 7. That time they plucked 7,500 plants worth
about $7.5 million.

Cormier said the three busts have similarities.

Yesterday, Colwell and Crown prosecutor Rob Martens couldn't say if
the Oak Lake, Arden and Amaranth grow-ops are in fact linked, or
whether they fit a scenario supplied to the Sun by an Ontario
investigator.

The officer said people with ties to organized crime have been
snapping up farms for large-scale grow-ops. They bring in growers,
often of Asian descent, to tend the plots and keep a low profile.

Many agree to tend the illegal crops because they're trying to earn
money to bring family to the country or are new themselves and need
cash to get settled.

Meanwhile, the three suspects charged in connection with the Arden and
Oak Lake busts were remanded in custody in Brandon provincial court
yesterday.

All face drug production and trafficking charges, and took part in
court proceedings with the help of a Cantonese-speaking
interpreter.

Chun Choi, 44, and Ping Liang, 43, were charged following the Arden
bust and remanded to Oct.12.

Jia Gu, 46, was charged in connection with the Oak Lake
raid.

Shortly after the arrest, Martens said Gu was wanted for ecstasy
trafficking in Ontario, where he has family, and had been deported
from the United States. The case was put over to Oct. 14.

Martens and police couldn't shed light on the citizenship status of
any of the suspects. But Martens said police seized a passport that
showed Choi entered Canada in July. Other documents show Liang had
been living in Toronto. 
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