ItB次元官网网址檚 an unremarkable 1970s-era home on a tidy property B次元官网网址� it wouldn't rate a second glance for somebody passing by.
Except, as neighbours noticed, people came and went at odd hours, nobody seemed to live there and it occasionally stank up the neighbourhood with the sticky-sweet smell of marijuana.
When the Saanich police tactical unit came knocking this morning with a battering ram, it was only a matter of time.
What the grow-op lacked in subtlety, it made up for in volume. After a two month investigation, Saanich police executed a search warrant on 766 Genevieve Road, at the corner of Lark Road, and found an empty home, except for about 700 pot plants spread between three rooms.
Officers in white hazmat suits and purple-capped respirators hauled out loads of marijuana leaves in conspicuous B次元官网网址淕uatemalan coffeeB次元官网网址� canvas sacks. Sgt. Dean Jantzen remarked that big canvas sacks are hard to come by, and are donated by local fish and chips shops. Unlike plastic bags, canvas prevents quick rot from setting in.
Nobody was home at the time of the 9:25 a.m. raid and police havenB次元官网网址檛 made any arrests related to the grow-op. One neighbour said an older man would occasionally show up to do yard work and to keep the exterior tidy. A younger man with a truck and his face obscured by a hoodie usually showed up at night and left in the morning.
Jantzen said the house has an absentee owner and had been rented. People running the grow-op werenB次元官网网址檛 stealing electricity and paid their hydro bills, he said.
B次元官网网址淭his is a sophisticated commercial operation,B次元官网网址� Jantzen told the media. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 told they are well tended plants. Someone cared for them on a daily basis.B次元官网网址�
As officers removed plants, the pungent smell floated over Genevieve Road.
B次元官网网址淚t was painfully obvious nobody lived there. Every two months there was an overwhelming smell,B次元官网网址� said neighbour Mike Cox. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e got kids, thereB次元官网网址檚 an elementary nearby, itB次元官网网址檚 a tight neighbourhood. IB次元官网网址檓 surprised they picked this house.B次元官网网址�
Kids would walk by from nearby Rogers elementary school every weekday, he noted, and even his 13-year-old son had an idea what was happening at the neighbourB次元官网网址檚 house.
B次元官网网址淔rom what I learned every once in a while there would be a venting process,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚n the summer (there were days) we couldnB次元官网网址檛 open our windows ... it was brutal.B次元官网网址�
Cox admitted he was nervous about telling police about the suspected grow-op, out of fear of angering a criminal gang. B次元官网网址淚 was hesitant to get involved. It could have been a teenager being stupid, or an organized level of crime I would not want to be involved with.B次元官网网址�
In this case, Jantzen said an off-duty officer from a neighbouring agency happened to smell the poorly concealed but sizable grow-op, and helped initiate the investigation.
Investigators are seeking the renters and plan to investigate the level of culpability of the owner to potentially seize the house. In any case, Jantzen said the home will need extensive cleaning and repairs to make it habitable.
B次元官网网址淭he level of protection (officers are wearing) goes to show these grow-ops are serious threats to people who occupy these homes,B次元官网网址� Jantzen said. B次元官网网址淭his house will need remediation. The basement is a mouldy, damp, toxic environment.B次元官网网址�
Jantzen also reiterated that despite its widespread use and general acceptance, this kind of indoor grown marijuana can be laced with insecticides and other dangerous chemicals.
B次元官网网址淭he amount of chemicals we find with these operations is dramatic. Gallons and gallons of caustic chemicals,B次元官网网址� he said, speaking about grow-ops in general. B次元官网网址�(Marijuana) might be natural when grown outdoors. These are indoors and (growers) worry about pests. WeB次元官网网址檝e seen where they spray Raid (insecticide) on plants.B次元官网网址�
editor@saanichnews.com
