Police seize more than $5M worth of cannabis

Wainfleet grow operation was licensed by Health Canada

OPP seized more than $5 million worth of cannabis at a licensed facility in Wainfleet Thursday.

Members of the Ontario Provincial Police provincial joint forces cannabis enforcement team, with assistance from Niagara Regional Police, carried out a search warrant at the property where infractions of the Cannabis Act were believed to be taking place, according to an OPP news release.

As a result, police seized 1,294 cannabis plants worth close to $1.3 million and approximately 1,747 kilograms of processed cannabis worth more than $3.8 million.

The site was a licensed Health Canada cannabis grow operation, said the OPP.

On Friday, Sgt. Duane Mcknight said the operation’s licence was a medical one and added he could not release further details. Asked if the two charged individuals are accused of growing more than their licence allows, he said they contravened the Cannabis Act, as well as the Criminal Code, and he was “unable to elaborate further.”

Mcknight also said the amount seized is all of the cannabis found on site.

The site was located on Pettit Road in Wainfleet. Police could be seen there most of the day Thursday.

In addition, a large sum of Canadian currency was seized from a safe in the residence, said the OPP.

Two adults were charged with one count each of harvesting cannabis without authorization, possession of cannabis for the purpose of distributing, possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling, and possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000.

Charged were Markham, Ont., residents Wesong Zhang, 31, and Hui Yun Chen, 37. They were released and scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice at a later date.

The OPP is “continuing to lead an enforcement strategy” that includes other Ontario police services, it said of the recent seizure.

“This strategy will reflect actionable intelligence on illegal cannabis operations,” said the OPP.

The focus of the strategy is to dismantle organized crime groups, eliminate the illegal cannabis supply, remove illegal cannabis enterprises such as storefronts and online operations, and target the proceeds of crime and assets, police said.

Police ask anyone with information regarding this incident to contact OPP investigators at 1-888-310-1122 or their nearest police authority.