©2023 Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT). All Rights Reserved.
Calgary… The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams dismantled two marihuana grow operations in Calgary, seizing over $1 million in marihuana plants.
With help from the Calgary Police Service, ALERT’s Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit-Calgary (CFSEU-Calgary) executed search warrants at two residences, one in the 700 block of Elbow Drive SW and the other on Copperfield Grove SE. The first search yielded 536 marihuana plants. The second home contained 315 marihuana plants and two weapons.
Several firearms were seized inside one of these locations and the National Weapons Enforcement Support Team is conducting a separate investigation into their legality. The Calgary Police Service’s Child at Risk Response Team was called in, as a five-year-old child was residing in the Copperfield home.
The team also found illegal electrical and water bypasses, allowing the occupants to steal an undetermined amount of water and electricity. Electrical bypasses present significant fire hazards. Following the dismantling, Alberta Health Services attended the homes and deemed them both unfit for human habitation. Mould growth in the Elbow Drive property was extensive, posing significant health hazards.
“The dangers associated with marihuana grow operations are many,” explained Staff Sergeant Tom Hanson. “Apart from the health risks, these grows lead to an increased potential for violence and are serious fire hazards, endangering the surrounding neighbourhood. Public reporting can go a long way in eliminating these dangers from our communities.”
ALERT encourages members of the public to learn more about the signs of a marihuana grow operation on the ALERT website. The public is also reminded to report any suspicious activity in their neighbourhoods, which can be done anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
ALERT is an umbrella organization established by the Government of Alberta to bring together the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources to tackle serious and organized crime. Close to 400 municipal police, RCMP and sheriffs work for ALERT.
-30-
The work we do is about our communities, and that’s why we recognize that residents can be instrumental in tackling serious crime. If you or someone you know has been the victim of a crime, or you suspect criminal activity, please reach out. Your information will remain strictly confidential.
Thank you for helping to make Alberta safer by being actively involved and reporting suspicious activity.
