Half a dozen people are facing charges in an illegal cannabis bust that was carried out in eastern Ontario.
Last month, provincial police joined forces with its cannabis enforcement team to investigate what they believed was an unlawful cannabis growing operation. The team focused on a property on County Road 12 in Greater Napanee, north of Highway 401 and in between Kingston and Belleville.
In late September, search warrants were carried out by several OPP units, including the K9 division, at the property. As a result, four people who were at the site that day were arrested, and two more were chased by police after they ran away, before being taken into custody.
Through the investigation, officers seized over 5,200 cannabis plants that had an estimated value of $7.9 million. They also found a 2015 Lexus RX350 valued at approximately $18,000 and just under $2,000 in Canadian currency.
As a result, provincial police laid charges under the Cannabis Act against:
The Tuan Nguyen, 46, of Scarborough
Tru Vang Anh Nguyen, 38, no fixed address
Zhenya Jiang, 72, of Scarborough
Chao Hui Wang, 60, no fixed address
Junbao Wang, 59, of Markham
Yongsheng Xu, 55, of Scarborough
The accused are expected to appear in a Napanee court on Dec. 15.
On top of the charges, several other risks were found at the property, the release details, which prompted fire fines and bylaw compliance orders.
Officials said the “significant” fire, electrical and safety concerns resulted in the hydro being turned off to the property.
“Illegal cannabis production operations continue to generate significant profits for criminal enterprises while creating safety risks for communities,” OPP Chief Superintendent Mike Stoddart, Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, said in the release.
The property located off County Road 12 was a remote and rural site. (OPP)
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