A large-scale illegal cannabis operation has been dismantled in Brampton after police seized nearly 4,000 plants and more than $1.5 million worth of cannabis.

The Ontario Provincial Police-led Provincial Joint Forces Cannabis Enforcement Team (PJFCET) was brought in to investigate after Toronto police discovered the operation during a separate investigation at a commercial unit on Rutherford Road in Brampton.

Toronto police executed a search warrant at the property on Tuesday, August 4, and found what investigators described as a large-scale illegal cannabis production operation.

Peel Regional Police then engaged the OPP-led cannabis enforcement team to investigate further.

Health Canada confirmed there were no registrations or licences associated with the Brampton property.

A second search warrant was executed at the commercial unit on Wednesday, August 5, involving members of the OPP’s cannabis enforcement team and Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, along with Peel police officers from Uniform Patrol and the Street Crime Unit.

Investigators seized nearly 4,000 cannabis plants in various stages of growth, more than 23 kilograms of processed cannabis and $600 in Canadian currency.

Police estimate the illegal cannabis had a street value of more than $1.5 million.

The operation also presented several safety concerns, police said, including hazards involving electrical infrastructure and the building itself.

The Office of the Fire Marshal and other partner agencies attended the property to assess the potential risks. Following those assessments, authorities determined there was no ongoing threat to public safety at the site.

Two people have been charged in connection with the investigation.

Ha Van Thang, 43, and Van Trieu Ngo, 38, both of no fixed address, have each been charged under the Cannabis Act with possession for the purpose of distributing and unauthorized cultivation.

Both accused were released from custody and are scheduled to appear in Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto on September 3.

The investigation was carried out by the OPP-led Provincial Joint Forces Cannabis Enforcement Team, which includes officers from the Niagara Regional Police Service, Durham Regional Police Service, London Police Service and Windsor Police Service.

The team investigates illegal cannabis operations involving the production, sale, distribution and import or export of cannabis outside the parameters of the law.

Police are asking anyone with information about the illegal sale of cannabis to contact the OPP.

Both accused are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.


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