Police take down Mara grow op
Police are searching for residents of a Mara address where a marijuana grow operation was uncovered.
In the mid-morning hours of Monday, Jan. 17, Sicamous RCMP executed a warrant to search a property on Highway 97A near Seed Road.
Assisted by various RCMP agencies including Kelowna air services, regional traffic services, a Vernon police dog and identification and general duty officers out of Revelstoke, investigating officers uncovered a large marijuana grow operation inside the property’s main detached garage.
RCMP Sgt. Carl Vinet describes the garage as being divided into three grow rooms. One had been harvested recently, another contained plants in an advanced stage of growth, while the third room contained smaller plants.
In total, 1,867 plants were found onsite.
Vinet notes the grow operation was being run with stolen electricity. He described the power pilfering process as “elaborate,” in order to minimize the likelihood of detection by BC Hydro.
“Although no one was found onsite, police are now actively searching for the two primary residents associated to the property,” says Vinet, adding charges of theft of electricity, production and possession for the purpose of trafficking will be recommended.
The Sicamous RCMP detachment began its investigation into the grow op in July 2010. As things progressed, officers from the South East District General Investigation Section were brought onboard to provide assistance.
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