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Local grow-op raided

RCMP officers found a marijuana grow-op with $270,000 worth of plants in a quiet Northridge crescent last week.
GR-20090603-SAG0801-306039936-AR

RCMP officers found a marijuana grow-op with $270,000 worth of plants in a quiet Northridge crescent last week.

Officers raided the home at 72 Napoleon Drive last Friday and discovered 270 plants growing in what police called a sophisticated medium-sized operation.

The plants were concentrated in the basement of the large two-storey home. The growers had illegally tapped into the electricity.

The home was empty when police searched it. So far there have been no arrests in the case.

St. Albert RCMP Cpl. Laurel Kading said the operation showed signs of complexity not always seen in similar operations.

“With the type of equipment that was there and the timers and lights, it was not just someone sticking plants in pots.”

She said whoever was growing the plants was organized and knowledgeable.

“It was someone who had sophistication as far as growing cycles and that type of thing. It was someone who knew what they were doing.”

The home was a rental property and was purchased just last spring. Several other homes further along the crescent are still under construction.

Kading said landlords should be cautious when renting because in the end they will have to pay for the damage done to their property from grow-ops.

“It sort of brings to the forefront that landlords are allowed to make regular visits to their property with proper notice.”

Grow ops can take months to set up and begin production. Kading said simply by making a few visits, landlords can prevent the operations from getting off the ground.

“It would keep people on their toes and they wouldn’t be able to set up an operation like this,” she said. “If a landlord was stopping in and doing inspections of their property it would shut down these kinds of things really fast.”

Alberta Health Services inspectors were also called in to the house to see if it is still fit for human habitation, but they have not made an order.

Kading wouldn’t reveal how the RCMP learned about what was happening in the home because the information is contained in a search warrant now before the courts.

She said the police are always looking for tips on possible grow operations and encouraged residents to keep an eye out for suspicious behaviour.

“Keep your eyes open for something that looks strange,” she said. “If it is nothing, it is nothing. We would rather get the call and discover that it is nothing than not get the call at all.”

Anyone with any information on this operation or to report a suspected grow house can contact the St. Albert RCMP at 780-458-7700 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

Signs a grow-op could be next door:

o Few people are seen coming and going from the home.
o Visits to the home are late at night or very short.
o Strange smells coming from the home often at the same time of day or night.
o Often smells strongly of fabric softener or has a "skunk" smell.
o People continually coming and going with large, bulky items or garbage bags.
o Evidence of tampering to the electric meter or the ground around it.
o There are water and/or electrical cords running to the basement or outbuildings.
o The home makes a humming sound or has motorized, fan-like noises.
o Excessive security like guard dogs, "keep out" signs, high fences, heavy chains or locks on gates.
o Windows of the home are always covered and have condensation on them.
o Neighbours never seen taking groceries or furniture into the home and they put out little or no garbage.

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