ARTHUR – County of Wellington OPP’s Community Street Crime Unit and uniform officers along with the OPP’s Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau and Joint Force Cannabis Enforcement Unit executed a search warrant in Arthur on the morning of June 4.
(An updated version of this story is available: https://www.wellingtonadvertiser.com/opp-charge-four-after-massive-marijuana-seizure/ )
At a commercial building located at 10 Wells Street, over 7,000 marijuana plants were seized along with a “large amount” of Canadian currency Wellington OPP media officer Cheri Rockefeller confirmed by phone.
Four individuals were arrested and are being charged and released, according to Rockefeller, although she was unable to provide details of who was arrested and the nature of charges.
An OPP officer is seen on June 4 at 10 Wells Street in Arthur where a warrant was executed resulting in over 7000 marijuana plants being seized in addition to a large quantity of Canadian currency.
Photo by Jordan Snobelen
The Advertiser observed a group of OPP officers hastily loading what appeared to be growing equipment and supplies onto a trailer towed by a Wellington County roads department vehicle.
“At the request of the OPP, we’re supplying some trucks for transportation of material away from the site,” Wellington County construction manager Joe de Koning said in a phone interview.
He declined to confirm what exactly county staff had been recruited to transport but said, “You can probably guess by the smell.”
“They didn’t have vehicles big enough to do the transport that needed to be done, so we’re providing support to them,” de Koning said.
County dump trucks were also seen departing the location with green stalks poking out from a truck’s box.
Green plant stalks poke out from the box of a dump truck transporting what is believed to be marijuana plants seized from 10 Wells Street in Arthur where Wellington OPP, in collaborating with other OPP units, executed a warrant on June 4.
Photo by Jordan Snobelen
On March 22, the building at 10 Wells Street was the subject of a public meeting regarding a proposal from CCR Holdings to rezone a 5.14 acre (2.08 ha) property at 10 Wells Street West in Arthur. The proposal would have seen the property rezoned to permit indoor cannabis cultivation and a processing facility.
A photo supplied by Wellington OPP shows marijuana plants inside of 10 Wells Street in Arthur where Wellington OPP, in collaborating with other OPP units, executed a warrant on June 4.
Submitted photo
The proposal generated objections from neighbouring property owners about the potential for odour from the operation and the amount of water such a facility would use.
Wellington North council requested more information be provided before they would consider moving ahead with the application.
With files from Patrick Raftis
