Over 1000 plants busted...

Blazin'Talon · Feb 23, 2007

...here in Lethbridge. The worst part is, the growers were twats and make us all look bad. I feel really bad for the kids. Here's the article,

<table style="width: 190px; height: 72px;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td width="310"> Big- time busts
By KRISTEN HARDING
Feb 23, 2007, 23:06

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</td> </tr> </tbody></table>Four city homes being used to grow marijuana have been condemned and deemed unfit for human habitation after Lethbridge regional police and public health inspectors spent most of Thursday shutting down a $1-million drug operation.
Shortly before noon, members of the tactical team, special operations unit and Southern Alberta Marijuana Investigation Team busted a grow op along Elm Road and within hours three more had been dismantled along 36 Street South, Tartan Boulevard West and Beaverbrook Road North.
By press time, police had seized a combined total of more than 1,000 plants from the homes with an estimated street value in excess of $1 million.
Four people are in custody and four children were apprehended under the Drug Endangered Children Act.
â€œWe're doing all that we can to be all over these guys,â€ said Insp. Jeff Cove, who heads the Criminal Investigation Division. â€œFor the safety of our citizens, we won't tolerate drug production.â€
Cove says taking down four grow ops in one day is a new record for police and investigators will remain vigilant.
The grow ops, which took up a large portion of the basement in each home, are all linked and it's believed at least some of the drugs were destined for Vancouver, Calgary and other communities.
â€œWe were able to connect them during the investigation,â€ said Cove. â€œThey have very similar MOs.â€
Police say at the properties the electricity had been bypassed, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide generators were being used to help the plants along and water was left running to enhance the humidity.
â€œThey were exposing themselves to their own toxic environment,â€ said Cove.
â€œIt's especially concerning to us that they would do this without any consideration to their own children.â€
Police seized 337 plants from the Elm Road location, about 600 from 36 Street South, 60 from Beaverbrook Road and officers were still counting at Tartan Boulevard at press time.
Maureen Elko, a public health inspector for Chinook Health, explained in cases where there's some sort of illegal activity in a home, such as a grow operation, moisture, mould, chemical and drug residues as well as steps taken to bypass electricity, water and a home's heating system all pose a risk to occupant safety.
â€œIt's very hazardous for another family to come in if the proper remediation techniques have not occurred,â€ she said.
A home's infrastructure, including drywall, the attic, insulation, floors and ceilings, must all be checked.
â€œWe just want to make sure that the next family that comes in aren't being exposed to anything harmful,â€ said Elko.
The onus to repair a home is on the owner of the property and until it's fixed, a Notice of Health Hazard is placed on the land title.
Along Elm Road, neighbours could be seen peeking out from behind their curtains, watching as police carried garbage bags brimming with marijuana plants and grow equipment out of a brick home.
One neighbour said a family of four, who moved from B.C. last fall, lived in the grow house.
â€œThey were very quiet people,â€ she said. â€œThey kept to themselves. Their shutters were always down.â€
The senior said from time to time she'd see a young girl looking out the window and last year the youngster visited her house during a garage sale and played with a doll. In addition to the little girl, the neighbour believes the couple had a baby.
Cove said so far investigation into the grow operations hasn't yielded any specific ties to organized crime, but noted that's often the case.
â€œA lot of these grow operations that produce illicit drugs are tied to organized crime groups or distribution networks,â€ he said.
Police have not released the names of the individuals in custody but charges are pending.
Southwest Child and Family Services is also investigating.
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Â© Copyright by Lethbridge Herald.com
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Link.

See, as much as I love Alberta...things like "Southern Alberta Marijuana Investigation Team" really piss me off.

Rasta_Man · Feb 23, 2007

Nuts.

Good thing pot grows on trees

sky · Feb 23, 2007

some of that money was probably gonna go towards the kids college fund...bummer

Blazin'Talon · Feb 23, 2007

Rasta_Man said:

Nuts.

Good thing pot grows on trees
Click to expand...

It's true . I'm not worried about a lack of weed or anything. None of my hookups go through commercial sources. I just hate to see marijuana made to look so bad (in Canada no less ), what with growing ruining homes, children taken by social services...

This is what happens when people get greedy. You can't just up and grow a million dollars worth of pot and expect to get away with it.

legendisdope · Feb 23, 2007

sky said:

some of that money was probably gonna go towards the kids college fund...bummer
Click to expand...

yup, but now the kids are going to be orphans.

TheGreenPot · Feb 23, 2007

I'm from AB as well, Calgary to be precise. What about you?

wunschshrek · Feb 24, 2007

its your government that looks bad, not the people being prosecuted for their 'crimes'.

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Over 1000 plants busted...

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Over 1000 plants busted...

Blazin'Talon Maybe just nothing Old School

Rasta_Man Banned

sky why is the blue sky?

Blazin'Talon Maybe just nothing Old School

legendisdope Registered Marijuana User

TheGreenPot Hit that shit!

wunschshrek Old School Stoner Old School

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Blazin'Talon Maybe just nothing
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