Pubdate: Fri, 13 Oct 2006 Source: Vancouver 24hours (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 Canoe Inc Contact: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3837 Author: Matt Kieltyka, 24 Hours Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) GROW-RIPS PUTTING NEIGHBOURS AT RISK Police are investigating a grow-rip after four armed men forced their way into a family's home in southeast Vancouver early yesterday morning. Vancouver Police Const. Tim Fanning said the home invaders, armed with knives and possibly a gun, used a ladder to get into the home through a second-storey window just before 1:00 a.m. Once inside, the suspects rounded up the family of five, including an 11-year-old child, and robbed them. Police were called to the home shortly after the bandana-clad suspects left, but that didn't stop them from finding more than six kilos of dried marijuana. No charges have been laid yet, but police are now investigating the invasion itself and also the owner of the home for drug-related offences. "It's a real risk to the community," said Fanning about the grow-rip. "Once [criminals] know there is a grow operation in the neighbourhood it puts everyone in danger. We often find weapons in the houses we search because it's such a risky business." - --- MAP posted-by: Derek