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Police Crack Grow Op Worth $21 Million
Pubdate: Sun, 18 Sep 2005
Source: Sun Times, The (Owen Sound, CN ON)
Copyright: 2005, Osprey Media Group Inc.
Contact: http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1544
Author: Don Crosby
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
POLICE CRACK GROW OP WORTH $21 MILLION
Three People Arrested, Police Looking For A Fourth
West Grey Police uncovered a marijuana grow operation worth $21.2
million on a farm in the former Bentinck Township Sunday morning.
About 9,000 plants ranging from four to six feet high were seized. A
truck filled with approximately 1,250 pounds of marijuana bud in black
plastic garbage bags ready for transportation was also seized.
The grow area on a farm east of the Mulock Road on Concession 8
included three fields that covered about 25 acres, said one of the
lead officers in the investigation.
The operation was simpler than one uncovered last week by the West
Grey police in the former Glenelg Township valued at $11. 4 million.
It involved growing the plants in open fields but well back from the
road on a property that was without buildings.
"We've been harvesting marijuana since June -- a hundred plants here,
a hundred there. Now we've got two very large seizures," said Sgt. Rob
Thompson, who expressed surprise at the size of the latest bust.
Thompson said police acted on tips from the public. Police work over
the past two weeks culminated in the arrest of three men from the
Toronto area Sunday. A warrant is out for a fourth man.
Only the truck filled with marijuana buds was removed from the
property. The plants will be removed and destroyed this week.
Chief Rene Berger praised the officers involved in the two
busts.
"Some of them worked 30 hours without a break," Berger
said.
Thompson said he believes there's still a lot more marijuana grow
operations.
He urged people to report unusual activity in the area, such as
strangers in the area, strange vehicles on rural roads or in farmers'
fields.
The truck involved in Sunday's bust was rented from a Toronto company
and was due back by this morning at 8 a.m.
Meng Feng Wang, 20, Ji Bin Ni, 38 and Xing Chun Dong, 31, each face
one count of production of a substance over three kilograms,
possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking over three
kilos, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Shan Da Lin, 31 of
Toronto.
The three men charged are being held in custody pending a court
appearance in Walkerton today.
On Sunday evening, police were stopping traffic near the farm and
questioning people.
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