HOMEOWNER STUCK WITH $30,000 METH CLEANUP BILL

Abbotsford city councillors are making it crystal clear: Homeowner's will
be on the hook when a drug operation is found on their property.

At Monday's council meeting, the lawyer for Baswar Shah pleaded with
councillors to remove a $30,000 bill charged to the Shahs for the cost to
take down a crystal methamphetamine lab found on their 25-acre blueberry
farm on June 25, 2004.

Lawyer Dorian Lacusta argued that the Shahs "had no knowledge" their
renters were running the lab, which Abbotsford police Const. Mark Jordan
told council was a "super lab."

Lacusta also argued that a $30,000 bill to dismantle a meth lab was
"unreasonable."

"We're talking one medium-sized room in a barn here," he told councillors.

Councillors, however, unanimously shot down Lacusta's plea in a matter of
minutes.

"Who has to pay for it if this individual doesn't?" asked Coun. Simon
Gibson. "The community pays for it, and that's not reasonable in my view."

Gibson and Coun. Bruce Beck adamantly disagreed with Lacusta, who spoke for
about 15 minutes.

Lacusta argued that the barn at 6521 Little St. was

300 metres away from the Shahs' home and was covered in bushes, making it
difficult for the Shahs to see any suspicious activity.

Lacusta also noted that Baswar Shah was away when her son struck a deal
with the renters, and the father, 87, isn't mentally competent.

"They didn't know this was going on," said Lacusta, arguing that the
renters started using the barn just three days before the raid.

Lacusta also argued that 19 police officers - eight from the New
Westminster SWAT team - and 14 firefighters were at the raid. He said the
officers charged for 425 hours of overtime, and the firefighters charged
$500 an hour for some of their equipment. He said one officer alone billed
for 57 hours of overtime.

"They've been less than fair in the way they've billed," Lacusta told
council. "They seem to have no consideration and very little concern as to
what was reasonable."

However, Jordan pointed out that the meth lab "was no ma and pa" operation.

He said 10 pounds of meth or more could be made in one batch, which could
net as much as $300,000 on the street.

"[The lab] was not just something you set up in one day," said Jordan.

Also, a personal-use marijuana-growing operation was found in the Shahs'
home during the raid, prompting Gibson to say, "It shows [the Shahs] have
empathy and sympathy with the drug culture."

After the meeting, Lacusta said Baswar Shah is considering taking the issue
"to a higher level."