Roachclip
New Member
A two-month-long police investigation resulted in the arrest, last week, of two men in relation to a commercial marijuana growing operation near Spring Brook. Three acres of healthy and mature marijuana plants were seized August 20. The street value of the approximately 11,000 plants is estimated at well over $1-million.
Charged with production of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking are Cuong Quoc Chu, 53, of Toronto, and Cuong Nguyen, 30, of Guelph. Nguyen faces an additional charge of breach of probation from charges originating in Toronto. They were taken into custody August 19.
About 20 officers with the assistance of Stirling-Rawdon municipal works uprooted and destroyed the plants, some of which were well over six feet tall.
The secluded property along Spring Brook Road between Campbellford and Spring Brook appears to be used solely for producing the cash crop, say police. The marijuana was grown in a field behind the farmhouse; the field was not easily spotted. Police also seized evidence related to the operation such as growing equipment, a Massey Ferguson Farm Tractor and associated implements.
"While it's reasonable to say grow ops like this are on the increase, it's still fairly unique in Hastings County," commented Staff Sergeant Peter Valiquette from Central Hastings Ontario Provincial Police. "This one is at the top of the scale of operations."
He was at the farm during the removal of the marijuana plants. Over the last three years, three to four operations of over 5,000 plants were discovered per year in central Hastings. Staff Sergeant Valiquette attributes the number to the increased attention given to marijuana grow operations.
"The D.E.S. Longarm are going a lot of good work," said Valiquette. He noted that organized crime is often involved in the large grow operations.
Project Longarm is joint-forces drug enforcement team comprised of officers from the Ontario Provincial Police drug enforcement section, Belleville Police Service, Quinte West, Bancroft, Centre Hastings and Prince Edward Ontario Provincial Police detachments.
This investigation also involved Stirling-Rawdon Police Service. Chief Frank Wallwork said, "I'd like to say the guys have done a very admirable job, sometimes going beyond regular police work. I think they deserve a lot of credit." He added, "We've been thinking a lot about the history of the farm. The people who cleared the land would be pretty disappointed to know how the land was used."
Police noted the marijuana crop had ideal growing conditions this summer and predict it would likely have been harvested sometime in the fall, as late as October.
www.communitypress-online.com
Michele Fairfield
08.27.04
https://www.communitypress-online.com/template.php?id=16540&RECORD_KEY(News)=id&id(News)=16540
Charged with production of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking are Cuong Quoc Chu, 53, of Toronto, and Cuong Nguyen, 30, of Guelph. Nguyen faces an additional charge of breach of probation from charges originating in Toronto. They were taken into custody August 19.
About 20 officers with the assistance of Stirling-Rawdon municipal works uprooted and destroyed the plants, some of which were well over six feet tall.
The secluded property along Spring Brook Road between Campbellford and Spring Brook appears to be used solely for producing the cash crop, say police. The marijuana was grown in a field behind the farmhouse; the field was not easily spotted. Police also seized evidence related to the operation such as growing equipment, a Massey Ferguson Farm Tractor and associated implements.
"While it's reasonable to say grow ops like this are on the increase, it's still fairly unique in Hastings County," commented Staff Sergeant Peter Valiquette from Central Hastings Ontario Provincial Police. "This one is at the top of the scale of operations."
He was at the farm during the removal of the marijuana plants. Over the last three years, three to four operations of over 5,000 plants were discovered per year in central Hastings. Staff Sergeant Valiquette attributes the number to the increased attention given to marijuana grow operations.
"The D.E.S. Longarm are going a lot of good work," said Valiquette. He noted that organized crime is often involved in the large grow operations.
Project Longarm is joint-forces drug enforcement team comprised of officers from the Ontario Provincial Police drug enforcement section, Belleville Police Service, Quinte West, Bancroft, Centre Hastings and Prince Edward Ontario Provincial Police detachments.
This investigation also involved Stirling-Rawdon Police Service. Chief Frank Wallwork said, "I'd like to say the guys have done a very admirable job, sometimes going beyond regular police work. I think they deserve a lot of credit." He added, "We've been thinking a lot about the history of the farm. The people who cleared the land would be pretty disappointed to know how the land was used."
Police noted the marijuana crop had ideal growing conditions this summer and predict it would likely have been harvested sometime in the fall, as late as October.
www.communitypress-online.com
Michele Fairfield
08.27.04
https://www.communitypress-online.com/template.php?id=16540&RECORD_KEY(News)=id&id(News)=16540
