# 9 marijuana grow ops worth $17M busted in Calgary area



## FruityBud (Jul 14, 2011)

Authorities have dismantled nine connected marijuana grow operations that allegedly belonged to two organized crime groups working together.

Police seized 13,500 marijuana plants and 44 kilograms of harvested bud from the operations, which were concealed in seven Calgary homes as well as properties near Strathmore and Okotoks.

Nine suspects are facing 80 criminal charges in connection with the drugs, which Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams valued at an estimated $17 million.

I think it significantly affected the viability of these two groups, said Staff Sgt. Tom Hanson.

The Calgary grow operations were found in communities across the city: Autumn Grove, Braeside, Deer Run, Douglasdale, Marlborough, Temple and Woodbine.

The seizure capped an 18-month investigation by ALERT, a provincial umbrella group established to target organized crime.

The case contains a cautionary message for landlords, said Hanson, because the grow ops were all established in rental properties that had to be condemned as a result of damage inflicted by the activity.

The criminals typically sent families with children or elderly people to pose as prospective renters, Hanson said.

But instead of tenants moving in, the suspects planted hundreds of plants in the homes, which suffered extensive mould damage from the high moisture used to grow marijuana.

The homes utility connections and foundations were also compromised by illegal hookups designed to steal water and electricity to feed the operation.

Hanson said its important for landlords to not only verify the identity of potential tenants and check their references, but to also ensure they periodically check on the condition of their property.

The damage that had occurred to some of these properties, I can say they were being used for a very long time, said Hanson.

An illegal electrical hookup caused a fire that destroyed the first grow op raided by police during the investigation: a Quonset on Valeview Road, outside Calgary, that caught fire on Nov. 27, 2009.

The Valeview operation was thought to house approximately 5,000 plants prior to its destruction.

Police were already investigating the property at that point, but the fire broke out before they obtained a search warrant, Hanson said.

Investigators with ALERT said the nine operations uncovered in the current investigation are likely connected to two others found during separate investigations in 2010.

Close to 400 municipal police, RCMP members and Alberta Sheriffs work for ALERT.

*hxxp://tinyurl.com/6c3a85t*


----------



## Irish (Jul 14, 2011)

stole electric, and ruined anothers home = scum bag slimeballs. they deserve everything they get and more...


----------

