Two deaths Sunday have York Regional Police and the regional coroner's office concerned there may be a potent and possibly fatal grade of heroin being sold in the region. The two deaths occurred in Vaughan. A 31-year-old Richmond Hill man could not be revived by paramedics and was pronounced dead at hospital. The investigation indicated the man may have died as a result of a heroin overdose. Later that day, police were called to another Vaughan home where the body of a 28-year-old man was found. Drug paraphernalia at the scene indicated the man may have died from an overdose. [continues 97 words]
Increased involvement by hydro utilities in 2003 helped pull the plug on a large number of indoor marijuana grow operations in York Region. Sgt. Mike Klimm, who led the York Regional Police drug squad's operations against grow houses for the past three years, said information from utilities about theft of power led to estimations at the start of the year that one of every 100 houses in York Region was a grow house. "That's now down to one out of every 500," said Sgt. Klimm. [continues 455 words]
Increased involvement by hydro utilities in 2003 helped pull the plug on a large number of indoor marijuana grow operations in York Region. Sgt. Mike Klimm, who led the York Regional Police drug squad's operations against grow houses for the past three years, said information from utilities about theft of power led to estimations at the start of the year that one of every 100 houses in York Region was a grow house. "That's now down to one out of every 500," said Sgt. Klimm. [continues 395 words]
Students in Thornhill took a little longer arriving home Wednesday afternoon as they stopped to watch a pot house raid. York Regional Police raided an indoor marijuana-growing operation at a house on Mullen Drive, immediately across from Westminster Public School. As they carted out loads of marijuana plants and assorted paraphernalia associated with such grows -- high intensity lamps, fans, electrical equipment -- youngsters gathered to have a look. Principal Rifka Eisenstat said while the proximity of the grow house to the school was a concern for the community and the neighbourhood, "there was no impact on the school whatsoever". [continues 99 words]
During a brief stroll Wednesday through Giovanni Caboto Park in Woodbridge, it wasn't difficult to see evidence of drug use. In an area at the southern end of the park, the grass was littered with small plastic packets -- all empty, of course -- which police identified as "dime bags" used in dealing small quantities of drugs. 'I'm fearful of what they're going to do in the night.' Drug use is just one of the complaints Mary Carodi has about activities in and around the park. [continues 446 words]
Four Vaughan Houses Raided In Past Two Days York Regional Police drug squad officers are not letting lack of helicopter surveillance slow down their battle against indoor marijuana-growing operations. An average of two indoor grow operations a day are being raided in York Region, an undercover member of the squad said yesterday. "It's like writing tickets," said another officer at the scene of a raid on Belvia Drive in the Dufferin Street, Rutherford Road area of Vaughan. Four indoor growing operations were raided in the last two days in Vaughan alone, with at least four people arrested. [continues 275 words]
Canadian Boxing Legend Lost Three Sons To Drug Abuse. George Chuvalo faced more people in the ring than listened to his anti-drug message at Thornhill Secondary School Wednesday evening. But his chilling descriptions of how drugs virtually destroyed his family left his small audience just as dazed as the 64 fighters he knocked out during his professional boxing career. The former Canadian heavyweight boxing champion was the featured speaker at what was billed as a community forum on crime, sponsored by the Ontario Crime Control Commission and hosted by Thornhill MPP Tina Molinari. [continues 685 words]
Police seized almost $5 million in marijuana in York Region last week as part of this year's third national Operation Greensweep. York Region drug squad officers, under the direction of Det. Mike Klimm, raided 13 homes in Richmond Hill, Vaughan and Markham between Nov. 17 and 24. The raids were part of the third countrywide sweep of indoor marijuana-growing operations conducted by provincial and municipal police services from British Columbia to Newfoundland. In 180 raids across the country, police seized marijuana plants worth $73 million. [continues 393 words]
Rewiring Houses Creates Possibility Of Explosions Illegal marijuana-growing operations in the GTA cost insurance companies millions of dollars. Bob Whitman, director of the Insurance Bureau of Canada's crime ring investigative unit, said Tuesday there are hundreds of marijuana grow houses in Toronto and the surrounding regions and "there's a potential for 10,000 in the entire province". "It's been estimated in the conservative area $50,000 per grow house is paid in claims by insurance companies," Mr. Whitman said. "You do the math." [continues 199 words]
Many People Bypassing Hydro Meter Involved in Marijuana Growing Operations: Cop Markham Hydro has recovered more than $1 million in the past year from people who stole power by illegally bypassing hydro meters. The money recovered resulted from people paying for the stolen power to have their hydro restored. But Markham Hydro metering supervisor Rick Lapp said the utility was owed $1.7 million. Until the remaining $500,000 is paid, some of the homes are still without hydro. "But we'll never recover all we've lost," Mr. Lapp said. "Our calculations for all of Markham indicate there could be over 400 sites with a bypass." [continues 480 words]
Indoor Marijuana Growing Making Neighbourhoods Dangerous, Cops Tell Politicians Violence is growing along with the marijuana plants in many "grow houses", according to a York Regional Police officer who briefed federal politicians on the problem last week. "We know there are homicides related to grow houses," Det.-Sgt. Gary Miner said. "(The growers) are protecting their territories, but people are also resisting paying protection (to criminal gangs). If you don't pay, you get hurt." York Region has already seen proof. [continues 635 words]
