GROW HOUSES BLITZED

Busting 28 marijuana grow houses over an eight-day blitz across the region
this month, York Regional Police confiscated plants worth more than $16
million on the street.

As a part of what officers are calling Operation Baby Bud, drugs and vice
Det. Darrin Leitch said search warrants were executed on homes in Markham,
Vaughan, Newmarket, Sutton and Keswick from June 8 to 11 and June 14 to 17.

With 83 already uncovered this year, Det. Leitch said officers are on pace
to match the 173 grow homes found in the region in 2003.

Six of the homes in this blitz were stealing electricity to power marijuana
grow operations, police say.

The remaining 22 homes were paying for the electricity and contained
smaller-scale operations.

Each grow was first identified through tips from the public or Crime
Stoppers, police said.

"People are becoming more educated and know what to look for," Det. Leitch
added. "Twenty eight in an eight-day period is certainly a lot, but there's
still a lot more out there we don't know about."

Twelve people were charged with 45 drug-related offences during the raids,
which uncovered 16,072 marijuana plants $3,987 in Canadian currency, $813
in US currency, $30,000 in yuan renminbi (Chinese currency) and $11,800 in
counterfeit Canadian cash.

Two of the men charged were linked to six grow houses in Markham, one
containing 8,000 marijuana clones or baby plants police suspect were used
to supply to other operations.