cannabisnews.com: Nationwide Drug Busts Weed Out $50M in Pot Nationwide Drug Busts Weed Out $50M in Pot Posted by FoM on January 31, 2002 at 09:14:12 PT By Peter Smith, Calgary Sun Source: Calgary Sun Calgary cops took part in a series of nationwide marijuana busts yesterday which took nearly $50 million worth of pot off the streets. By the end of "Operation Green Sweep" police forces across Canada had laid 289 charges against 136 suspects. Officers raided two homes in Calgary, including one in Bridlewood, where they seized 372 marijuana plants with a street value of $372,000, Insp. Murray Stooke of the organized crime section said. City cops also recovered $12,500 worth of specialized equipment used to grow marijuana, $695 in cash, and arrested two suspects. Stooke said the more worrying aspects of the city raid was that children were in one home to watch the seizures, and a marijuana extraction laboratory was also dismantled in one of the homes. Home-grown pot is an ever-increasing problem in Calgary, he said. In 2000, the local drug unit took out 58 hydroponic growing operations, seizing $4.7 million worth of marijuana. But in 2001, raids had increased to 65, where officers seized almost $10 million worth of pot. Operation Green Sweep took out 46,796 marijuana plants in simultaneous swoops in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. Stooke said although marijuana was a lucrative money-spinner for organized crime across the nation, the targets hit in the operation weren't necessarily connected. At least 500 officers were involved across the nation, and in addition to the pot seized, more than $3.2-million worth of hydroponics equipment was recovered. In at least 90 target homes, the pot-growers had bypassed the electrical power to the house, and children were inside at least 28 of them. Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB)Author: Peter SmithPublished: Thursday, January 31, 2002 Copyright: 2002 The Calgary SunContact: callet sunpub.comWebsite: http://www.fyicalgary.com/calsun.shtmlCanadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmBlowing Smoke in Vansterdam http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10462.shtmlCannabisNews Articles - Canadahttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=canada Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by herbdoc215 on January 31, 2002 at 22:49:48 PT: This is same bs tactic used by DEA and blew up.... DEA tried same little number game last year to gain an extra headline in the ongoing war of spin. If this isn't overkill..., takes allot of gall to charge someone for growing and play the " mafia " game in media to spin potential juries and public opinion. Never think for an instant that the Canadians can't learn to be good little facist quickly, especially with news stories every night on our TV's of US news ( 90% of Canadian's are within 20 miles of US border, so we all get your shows too! ) of gov't hiring massive amounts of guards, dogs, guns, and don't forget hate and mistrust on US/Canada border NOW! You think all us stoned/drunk Canadians( notice that it's now us Canadians- hell yes I would fight to last drop of blood for the nation that has given me a home and a refuge, even against US, My papa taught me to dance with the one who brought me! ) are going to invade US? Ya, in a pigs eye. It's to keep YOU IN, not me out. The US gov't has known for 8 month's exactly were I am and not LIFTED ONE FINGER to extridite me. They got just what they wanted, rid of me and proved their point! We's a be settling right on in hersa boss iff'in dat beezza okay wicha youse. Steven Tuck [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Robbie on January 31, 2002 at 12:16:00 PT Isn't it wonderful? Don't you Canadians feel so much better now? Such a beautiful clean-up of people's private li-, er, drugs. Unlock those doors...mad potheads won't come in and carve up yer babies tonight. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment