Pubdate: Fri, 24 Nov 2006
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  http://torontosun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Rob Lamberti, Toronto Sun

GROW-OP BUST YIELDS$6.5M IN POT PLANTS

Twenty-Two Apartments Were Used in Jane St. Building

Oscar Henriquez turned and looked as a Toronto narcotics officer put 
a bag of marijuana into a trailer yesterday.

"I recognize that smell," the 52-year-old man said while standing 
outside the apartment building he lives in at 2600 Jane St.

But what the neon sign maker didn't know was that the drug squad 
found 22 apartments with active grow operations in the 169-unit 
building north of Sheppard Ave. Police originally had warrants to 
search six apartments in the 13-storey building, but they found 
evidence and were tipped about the others.

It's estimated each apartment had about 300 plants worth a total of 
about $6.5 million. Two people have been charged, and police expect 
further arrests.

"I've never seen such a large or dangerous operation," Drug Squad 
Staff-Insp. Don Campbell said. "How could someone not know?"

He said, however, the building's owners and the company that manages 
it didn't know about the grow-ops, and helped police in its investigation.

ONE OR MORE

Campbell said it's still not clear whether one organization is 
responsible or if there is more than one group.

"Every one looked very similar to each other, most grows do. (But) we 
anticipate that it was probably a group that was responsible for all 
the grows," Campbell said.

MOULD HAZARDS

He said city inspectors and hydro crews took part in the raids to 
inspect the wiring and check for mould hazards in the units. In one 
electrical box, the covering of one wire had almost burned through, 
Campbell said.

"We got here before anything happened," he said, adding that 
firefighters found a grow-op in the building in April when they 
responded to a blaze linked to the operation.

Investigators are reviewing rental agreements to determine who leased 
the units.

An 18-year-old who lives in the building was shocked at the extent of 
the grow-op.

"That's ridiculous. This area has gotten worse and worse as the years 
go by," he said.

Henriquez isn't surprised by the extent of the operation found in the 
apartments between the fourth and 12th floors.

"I try not to know anybody because I'm afraid of the people here," he 
said. "We don't have friends here."

Henriquez points to the driveway in which the police trailer was 
parked and said: "There was shooting right there last year. This area 
is very dangerous."
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