City of Kawartha Lakes OPP Seize Over 6,000 Cannabis Plants

Pete Fisher
3 years ago
• Categories: Police Blotter

Members of the City of Kawartha Lakes Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) seized over 6,000 plants under a Cannabis Act (CA) warrant that interrupted the illegal production of cannabis at a local residence.

On July 21, 2021, the City of Kawartha Lakes OPP Community Street Crime Unit (CSCU), with assistance from Haliburton Highlands, Peterborough and Northumberland CSCU, the Emergency Response Team (ERT), Provincial Joint Forces Cannabis Enforcement Team (PJECFT) and Canine Unit, executed a CA related warrant at a residence on Portage Road in Kirkfield that resulted in the seizure of 6,152 cannabis plants in various stages of growth. This seizure was the equivalent of four full dump trucks with an estimated value of $6,152,000.

The warrant also resulted in the seizure of 100 pounds of cannabis bud in the drying stage with an estimated street value of $225,500, 329 pounds of dry cannabis bud with an estimated street value of $1,490,370, and 2.3 pounds of cannabis resin valued at an estimated $20,840.

The total estimated street value of all cannabis items seized is approximately $7.9 million.

A skid steer, two f ork lifts and Health Canada Licences were also seized as part of the investigation.

Seven persons were located and charged as part of the investigation:

• Phillip Huy Quoc CHEN, 54 years of age, of Kirkfield;
• Van Phuong DAO, 43 years of age, of Toronto;
• Paul GILBERT, 63 years of age, of Kirkfield;
• Vinh LUU, 51 years of age, of Calgary;
• Chinh Nghia NGUYEN, 54 years of age, of St-Leonard, QC.;
• Kien Quoc TRAN, 61 years of age, of Calgary, AB.;
• Yen Ngoc VU, 56 years of age, of North York.

All seven persons have been charged under the Cannabis Act with:

• Possession of Cannabis for the purpose of distribution
• Unlawfully cultivate plants at a place not their dwelling

The accused are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Lindsay, on September 16, 2021.