On Nov. 17 at about noon the Castlegar Crime Reduction unit executed a search warrant issued under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act at a rural residence near Castlegar.
A sophisticated indoor grow-op containing 61 marijuana plants was found in a barn on the property, along with a specially-designed underground bunker below the garage beside the residence.
A 58-year-old male was arrested at the scene without incident and will appear in Castlegar court on Jan. 2012.
At about 9 o'clock the following morning the unit, along with general duty Castlegar RCMP members executed a search warrant at a residence on Columbia Avenue, where an indoor marijuana grow-op with 478 plants was located in the basement.
Two kittens were found inside the grow-op and were turned over to the SPCA.A 31-year-old male and 47-year-old female were arrested on the scene without incident.
The male was held in custody and was to appear in Nelson court on Nov. 21. The female was released and will appear in court in December.
The Castlegar and Trail Crime Reduction Units continue to aggressively pursue any illegal drug activity to ensure the safety of their respective communities.Anyone with information regarding marijuana grow-ops is urged to contact the RCMP or Crimestoppers.