Pubdate: Wed, 22 May 2013 Source: Tribune, The (CN ON) Copyright: 2013, Osprey Media Group Inc. Contact: http://www.wellandtribune.ca/letters Website: http://www.wellandtribune.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2807 Author: Dan Dakin A GROWING PROBLEM After four years spent investigating marijuana grow operations, not much surprises Luigi Greco anymore. "There's no rhyme or reason," said Greco, a detective sergeant with the Niagara Regional Police. "They can pop up in small crescents, on major streets, in apartment buildings. Whoever has the desire to do it and wherever they have the opportunity, they do it." It has been a busy couple of weeks for the NRP's drug enforcement officers working in the Guns, Gangs and Grows Unit. Since May 8, the unit has seized more than $1.2 million in marijuana and made five arrests in Welland, St. Catharines and Pelham. That brings the year-to-date totals to more than $2.7 million in both plants and processed marijuana seized, as well as $80,000 in growing equipment. The biggest marijuana bust of the year happened May 8, when 1,187 plants with an estimated street value of $1 million were seized from a two-storey home in the Grapeview area of Martindale Rd. Police allege people were living on the main floor of the house while a complex grow op was running in the basement and on the second floor. "As far as the setup of it, it was elaborate with a sophisticated electrical system," Greco said. Neighbours had no idea of what was going on in the nearby house. "I can't believe it," said a woman who lives across the street. She asked that her name not be used. "It's surprising. There were always four or five vehicles in the driveway, but there was nothing out of the ordinary." According to a city order posted on the door of the house, it is owned by a group of real estate investors. They have been ordered by the city and fire department to properly clean out the house and have the electrical system repaired. Stolen electricity is a major problem with grow ops, said Horizon Utilities spokesman Larry Roberts. "We take it very seriously because of the safety aspect and the theft," he said. Typically, grow ops draw huge amounts of hydro, but the people running them don't pay because the power is usually stolen from neighbours or directly from the grid. "If they're making unauthorized or illegal changes to the electrical system, it could put people or the building at risk," Roberts said, calling grow ops a serious fire hazard. "The other big concern is the theft of power. It's a big issue, and ultimately that costs everyone in the community," he said. While the NRP's drug unit has a long list of ongoing investigations, it is finding more and more come to an abrupt end when the grower produces a Health Canada-issued medical marijuana growing licence. "It gets quite frustrating," Greco said. "We do dozens of investigations every week and the majority right now are coming up as licensed grow ops. There's a huge influx in those. "It's almost comical. But now even though we do a Health Canada check early on, we've made it routine to do a query the day (of executing a search warrant) just to make sure no licence has been issued." - --------------------------------- By the numbers Pot busts by NRP Guns, Grows and Gangs Unit so far in 2013 Marijuana - $2.73 million Growing equipment - $80,000 Total NRP pot busts in 2012 Marijuana - $17 million Growing equipment - $230,500 - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom