[420 Girl]

In one of the biggest busts ever in the region, more than 2,673 marijuana plants were seized during a four-week Cowichan-wide operation RCMP announced this week.

A total of 36 different grow operations were investigated, including 17 residences spread around Crofton, Chemainus, Duncan, Mill Bay, Cobble Hill, Lake Cowichan, Youbou and Shawnigan Lake on southern Vancouver Island.

North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP's Street Crew worked in conjunction with Shawnigan Lake RCMP, Lake Cowichan RCMP and South Island Traffic Services to form a Green Team for the operation.

Mounties would not release the street value of the drugs seized. The effort not only netted drugs and paraphernalia, but nearly two-dozen suspects as well.

"Numerous people were arrested during the investigations and released for court dates in early 2010," said North Cowichan/ Duncan RCMP Cpl. Kevin Day in a news release issued Wednesday. "Charges are being forwarded on 22 individuals."

The majority of the charges being pursued are for production of a controlled substance, possession for the purpose of trafficking, theft of hydro electricity and weapons offences, said Day, noting that not all the grow operations were completely illegal.

"The North Cowichan/Duncan Green Team also located two licensed marijuana growing operations which were not adhering to the conditions on their designated licenses," he said.

Day said that throughout the region police have been active in the seeking out and dismantling grow-ops and that more arrests and charges are occurring largely due to the Street Crew's successes as opposed to increasing amounts of drug activity in the Valley.


http://www.420magazine.com/forums/in...operation.html