cannabisnews.com: London Joins National Drug Bust





London Joins National Drug Bust
Posted by FoM on January 31, 2002 at 09:53:48 PT
By John Herbert and Jennifer O' Brien
Source: London Free Press 
London police joined the nation's fight against drugs and took it into bedroom communities around the city yesterday. About 500 police officers from 20 municipal, regional, provincial and federal forces raided 149 homes across the country in a well-orchestrated sweep on home-grown marijuana operations. By the end of the day, Operation Green Sweep, co-ordinated by Ontario's York Region police service, has resulted in 136 arrests, 289 charges, and the seizure of 46,796 marijuana plants and $3.2 million worth of growing equipment. 
Raids were conducted late last night in British Columbia and Quebec, completing the project that began with planning in November. London Police Const. Ryan Holland said about 40 officers from the city police force and local RCMP detachment raided six homes in London while a seventh home in Dorchester was raided by OPP from London. Police here seized marijuana valued at $1.6 million and arrested nine adults and two teenagers. They also seized $120,000 worth of growing equipment and $500,000 in assets considered proceeds of crime. Holland said the assets were two homes and a car. Police did not release names of the people charged. Homes were raided at 1653 Richmond St., 817 Valetta St., 97 Langton Rd., 31 Springbank Dr., 126 Napolean Dr., and 151 Bonaventure Dr. "We want the public to understand these types of organized criminal activity are taking place in every neighbourhood across London,'' Holland said, adding the raids in London were mostly in residential areas. "This was a co-ordinated effort to really heighten the awareness these operations are happening in all types of neighbourhoods.'' Holland said in most cases, the people setting up the growing operation are bypassing electricity meters and creating fire hazards. A typical grow operation consumes about $1,500 worth of electricity a month. The London raid at 817 Valetta at 8 a.m. underscored how the drug business can be found right next door. The Oakridge Acres bungalow can be found in the heart of one of London's proudest neighbourhoods where kids play hockey, go to school and church. The home is located across from Riverside public school, next to the Oakridge Arena and just down the street from Notre Dame separate school and St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church. Holland said the home on Valetta and the majority of others raided in London were used mainly for growing marijuana. It appeared there were no full-time residents or families living in them. Inside the Valetta Street home, police found only a mattress, television and table in the living room. "The rest of the house was for growing marijuana,'' Holland said. Police say it is a rental house with absentee tenants and described it as a ''typical growth operation.'' Marijuana plants were found throughout the house and there was a strong smell of marijuana outside. Police removed more than 500 plants in various stages of growth and loaded six garbage bags of drugs into a truck. One man was arrested at the house without resistance. The Langton Road home was occupied by a family with three kids, said neighbour Steve Person. "They are pretty quiet,'' Person said. "The most noise we ever heard was last summer one night when the grandmother and the mother were sewing in the garage while the kids were out screaming and playing in the backyard. "It's pretty weird. It's a family neighbourhood. We have kids playing road hockey on the street. To have that sort of thing happen is quite odd. "I had no idea they were involved in this.'' Source: London Free Press (CN ON)Author: John Herbert and Jennifer O' Brien, Free Press ReportersPublished: Thursday, January 31, 2002Copyright: 2002 The London Free Press a division of Sun Media CorporationContact: letters lfpress.comWebsite: http://www.fyilondon.com/londonfreepress/Related Article:Nationwide Drug Busts Weed Out $50M in Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11887.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by Dan B on February 01, 2002 at 00:10:20 PT:
To add to Jose Melendez's Comment
"I had no idea they were involved in this."Then what's the problem? If even the neighbors had no idea, what terrible menace were these people really posing to society? What horrible brain damage was being done to the children who did not witness this? What horrendous blight has been brought on this community that has forced its citizens to capture and cage the growers and destroy all that cannabis?Evidently, there was no problem. Next time they get a bright idea to conduct such raids, why don't these bobbies just keeping bob-bob-bobbing along and stay out of private matters that don't concern them.Dan B
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Comment #5 posted by mayan on January 31, 2002 at 16:08:42 PT
Ultimate Losers
So this will drive the price of pot up & inspire a new generation of growers to cash in on this precious commodity. The more they fight the sacred herb, the deeper the hole they dig themselves into. These bozos just cannot grasp the simple concept of supply & demand. Furthermore, the police have lost even more respect(if that's possible)from a society in which half(more every day) of it's citizens beleive the herb should be set free. They cannot win this battle, they can only delay their own demise.
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on January 31, 2002 at 14:12:52 PT
Another Article about Busts - What's Going On?
Sweep Nets 20 Marijuana-Growing Operations
Vancouver raids part of national blitz on homes used by drug dealers
Complete Article -- http://www.canada.com/search/site/story.asp?id=80AC3983-00AA-4A2A-AF81-72E427591CDA
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Comment #3 posted by Jose Melendez on January 31, 2002 at 12:02:17 PT:
don't say no to ideas
"I had no idea they were involved in this."
... and if cannabis were legal, you would not have cared.
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Comment #2 posted by aocp on January 31, 2002 at 10:19:44 PT
It's a given
May 10 grow ops spring up for every one they smash and grab.
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Comment #1 posted by potpal on January 31, 2002 at 10:07:45 PT
Absurd...
"It's pretty weird. It's a family neighbourhood. We have kids playing road hockey on the street. To have that sort of
   thing happen is quite odd. That may be because these were families that are now ruined by cannabis culture haters. Normal families with kids outside playing hockey. Now you have dozens of destroyed families and a bunch of newly branded criminals to waste tax payer dollars on, confiscated 'homes' to buy your high tech toys to go out and wreck some more lives.It steams me up that the press plays right along with this kind of bullsh*t. Freely repeating the lies and propaganda over and over again...May 10 grow ops spring up for every one they smash and grab.
Easy to see who the real criminals are.
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