York Regional Police carried out a massive drug bust at a Leamington growing operation with ties to an Asian drug ring operating in the Greater Toronto Area.
Officers descended onto a farm in Leamington as part of Project Moon and seized 7,000 marijuana plants.
York Regional Police released video of their operation in Leamington.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYFwpCDCrAA&feature=youtu.be
A total of 20,000 plants were seized in Leamington and elsewhere during the year-long investigation. Police also seized more than 560 kilograms of dried cannabis, 23 kilograms of methamphetamine, over 1,500 ecstasy pills, nine pounds of magic mushrooms, and $220,000 in cash.
Constable Andy Pattenden said investigators also seized four guns including a Tech 9 machine gun and a silencer.
Perhaps most troubling of all, Pattenden said the criminals were using legitimate licenses to grow medical marijuana from Health Canada.
"Health Canada issues a license to somebody to grow medical marijuana. That person can then give their license to somebody else to grow on their behalf," he explained. "What we're seeing in a lot of cases is, organized crime groups -- they're pooling these licenses together -- growing beyond the licensed amounts."
He added some of the license holders might never even see any cannabis. Asked if the license holders were victims, Pattenden said, "it appears that way, but it is still part of an ongoing investigation."
The sale of cannabis grown at these grow-ops was used to fund the manufacture of the chemical drugs, said Pattenden.
Police have not released the location of the farm in Leamington or said how many people there were arrested, but a total of 40 people face charges.
BlackburnNews.com has reached out to the Essex County Ontario Provincial Police to see if they assisted in the raid in Leamington.
Some of the drugs were destined for the Greater Toronto Area, but Pattenden told BlackburnNews.com investigators also believe a large quantity was meant for export to the U.S.