B.C.’s anti-gang squad has busted one of the most sophisticated marijuana grow operations ever seen by its officers, with 10,000 plants spread out over four separate Mission properties capable of grossing upwards of $40 million a year for its biker owners.

The RCMP’s Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit says the operations in Mission’s rural north are believed to be linked to the Hells Angels. One property had an underground bunker with its vents camouflaged by a fake horse stable and each of the four grow operations had a generator capable of powering a small northern town, according to spokesman Sgt. Lindsey Houghton.

“These are not the classic marijuana grows in a closet in the basement or even ones seen in typical residential home,” Houghton said. “These are the first of their kind in terms of construction methods.”

“We are talking about large, highly sophisticated grows that are using the latest technology to boost the growing cycle as well as extremely high levels of security to keep the grow operation concealed from both the police and, more importantly from the grower’s perspective, from organizations that exist almost solely to steal or “rip” grow operations.”

Acting on a tip received months ago, CFSEU officers and the RCMP’s Emergency Response Team first raided a home in Langley’s Brookswood neighbourhood (on the 4500 block of 206th Avenue) early Friday morning where they safely arrested a 34-year-old man, believed to be the caretaker of the four operations.

More than 60 officers then raided the four grow operation properties in Mission located on the 10000 and 14000 blocks of Sylvester Road, the 12000 block of Dewdney Trunk Road and the 13000 block of De Graff Road.

Houghton said two men, a 33 and a 32-year-old, were arrested as they fled the De Graff Road property, which had the underground bunker. A Burnaby man, 33, was arrested at one of the Sylvester Road operations without incident and a 34-year-old man was caught by a police dog team trying to run from the other operation on the same road.

All five men were released from custody, but will soon be facing drug-related charges Houghton said.

“The investigation is continuing and as soon complete a case as possible is put together all of that will be forwarded to Crown for their consideration,” Houghton said.

He added that each operation had a $100,000 natural gas generator capable of powering a hospital and so big that Mounties needed a large crane to remove them from each property. In total, all the equipment used to produce the marijuana is estimated by the RCMP to be valued at $1 million. Police also recovered about $20,000 at the Langley residence where the alleged caretaker was arrested.

The bust also netted 90 kg of dried marijuana, bringing the total estimated value of all the drugs seized to $5-10 million Houghton said. The operations had only been growing marijuana for a few months Houghton said, estimating that in total they could produce upwards of 10,000 plants every three months and bring in more than $40 million a year.

Still, even a bust this big shouldn’t have much of an effect on B.C.’s booming illegal marijuana trade.

“The market’s huge and I think everyone would be naive to think that taking these four grow-ops down is going to have a significant impact on marijuana in the Lower Mainland or B.C.” Houghton said.

“For the owners of these grows, it is all about creating an easy, untaxed, very lucrative income stream from the production of marijuana,” Houghton said in a release. “It’s all about money and, in this case, we believe that money is associated to organized crime.”

mhager@postmedia.com

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