Major Drug Busts In Hamilton, Peel
Posted March 23, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Authorities in Hamilton and Peel Region have uncovered a pair of major drug operations.
The marijuana grow-op police were alerted to in Steel Town five weeks ago is being described as the largest that city’s ever seen, with 11,000 plants grown in dozens of apartments in high-rises. The estimated worth of the plants is $11 million.
After weeks of surveillance, police got search warrants for six apartments in one of the three buildings involved.
According to authorities the building’s owner was cooperating with them. The initial search of those apartments led investigators to 50 residences in all.
It’s believed two or three suspects are behind the grow-op, but police haven’t given much more information. They reportedly aren’t known to police.
The residences that housed the plants were being described as very dangerous, with plugged in cables laying across wet floors, and liquid fertilizer.
Authorities reportedly also found hot wired fuse boxes that had caught fire at some point, and had been replaced with similarly wired new versions.
Police are continuing to look for suspects in the case.
Meanwhile, officers in Peel Region made 13 arrests in connection with Thursday’s seizure of $4.5 million in drugs including marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine and crystal meth.
Police also grabbed luxury vehicles and $50,000 in cash.
Peel Regional Police have charged the following people, all from Toronto, with drug offences:
Thi Tran, 20 year old female
Nina Nguyen, 24 year old female
Thi Bui, 26 year old female
Han Le, 50 year old female
Huynh Nguyen, 22 year old male
Anne Tran, 21 year old female
Cuong Nguyen, 52 year old male
Ngoc Dao, 33 year old male
Nam Dang, 26 year old male
Tran Nguyen, 25 year old female
Pranhot Douangprachanh, 28 year old male
Prasa Douangprachanh, 28 year old male
Thi Nguyen, 24 year old female
All 13 were in court Friday. Anyone with information in the case is asked to call Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
