Pubdate: Fri, 13 May 2005
Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005, West Partners Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.kelownacapnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294
Author: Marshall Jones
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?188 (Outlaw Bikers)

ANGEL'S HOUSE POT FARM NURSERY

If you still had any doubts about Hell's Angels motorcycle gang involvement 
in the local drug trade, the southeast district RCMP drug squad found 
something that might change that.

This week, Kelowna Mounties raided a home on Highway 33 that could supply 
more than 13,000 marijuana plants a year to various grow operations.

The home and a vehicle at that home are both in the name of a prominent 
member of the East End chapter of the Hell's Angels.

Police say the home was organized simply to produce clones or off-shoots of 
healthy strong and productive strains of marijuana.

The operation wasn't used to grow the plants for marketable bud, it simply 
created starter plants for other grow operations.

"Essentially this was like a nursery that sells off small flowers to your 
average gardener," says Const. Pat Mulhall.

Police found 1,100 clones in the home compared with just 100 so-called 
mother-plants which are grown and maintained just so clones can be clipped 
and re-planted.

Normally growers are trying to get as many full-sized plants to go to bud 
so they can be harvested. This operation was just the opposite.

Mulhall says the 1,100 clones would take about a month to grow, move them 
and start again.

Police arrested a 39-year-old woman who was found in the home but she was 
released.

Mulhall says they hope to lay charges against someone soon.

There were no weapons found in the home but there were two rottweilers on 
the scene.

It didn't take much to give away the Hell's Angels involvement.

They advertised the fact with stickers reading "Support White Rock Hells 
Angels" and "Support 81" which means support the HA if you assigned 
numerical values to the letters.

Kelowna still does not have its own chapter of the Hell's Angels yet, 
though it has been rumoured for months that a chapter is imminent.

Kelowna is believed to be controlled by the East End chapter which has 15 
full-patch members, seven prospects and three hangarounds.

With enough prospects and full-patch members in the Okanagan, a new chapter 
might make sense.

If they do set up a chapter, it would be their eighth in B.C. and the first 
one outside the Lower Mainland. The club already has clubhouses here.
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman