A second underground marijuana growing operation has been discovered in Langley.

On June 1, investigators executed a search warrant at a property in the 27000-block of 56 Avenue, and arrested three men and one woman. They were later released pending further investigation.

At the property, investigators found five shipping containers buried underground where they housed a sophisticated bunker system, similar to the underground bunker operation in Mission that was disguised as a fake horse paddock. In Langley the property was disguised as a small hobby farm, including one pig and three sheep. There were also about a dozen pit bull type dogs and Chihuahuas. The dogs were taken by a family member.

Police said each of the steel shipping containers had a doorway cut through it to make a continuous pathway that connected all of the containers as well as raised walkways so workers could easily walk through the bunker from container to container.

Story continues below advertisement

It is believed the grow-op has been in operation for at least a couple of years, and was powered by an industrial-sized gas generator worth about $100,000. A nearby natural gas pipeline had been cut into and a bypass installed to redirect the gas to the generator. The generator’s muffler was disguised from view with an old manure spreader placed over top of the muffler.

Officers also discovered a loaded firearm in one of the bedrooms of the house, and seized about 1.5 pounds of dried marijuana.

“From trucking the containers in on flat-bed trailers, to excavating massive holes, to needing a crane to lower the containers into the ground, and then having people get the grow-op up and running, this was a complex operation that required a great deal of planning and equipment. Make no mistake; however, this had the potential to be extremely dangerous to the public and emergency responders,” said CFSEU-BC spokesman Sgt. Lindsey Houghton. “The lengths that the people constructing these types of grow-ops will go to are alarming. In spite of their efforts to hide from the police, however, we will continue to target organized crime groups and those people who are the most violent in our communities and how they get their money to further their criminal enterprises.”

Members of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of BC (CFSEU-BC) was at the property over the weekend and a crane operator had to be hired to life the containers and generator out of the ground. “We relied heavily on the cooperation and assistance of contractors and heavy equipment operators, and the Langley Fire Department to help us at the scene,” said Houghton.

Story continues below advertisement

Despite some similarities, investigators do not believe this underground grow-op, which had about 430 plants, is linked to the four marijuana grow-ops CFSEU-BC shut down last month in Mission.

CFSEU-BC received assistance from the Langley and Surrey RCMP detachments, the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team, RCMP Air Services, and private contractors during the execution of this search warrant.