A vehicle stop on February 26 led police in Ontario to an illegal cannabis production facility, where they seized a large volume of cannabis and an extraction machine.

First, on February 26, officers with the OPP’s Peterborough/Northumberland Community Street Crime Unit (CSCU) say they stopped a vehicle on Highway 115. A search then revealed a kilogram of suspected cocaine, along with cannabis flower and hashish, with the driver, a 39-year-old Ennismore man, being arrested.

The accused then immediately advised police that they needed to go to an industrial unit located in Peterborough, where he said a large cannabis extractor had been left running and, if not turned off, could explode. 

Officers and the Peterborough Fire Department attended, and the machine was safely shut off.

Search warrants at the unit and the accused’s residence led to the seizure of 51 garbage bags of cannabis shake, two kilograms of hash, 10 litres of hash oil, various chemicals, and a spring-loaded knife. Police also found $755 in cash.

Jayson McConnell, 39, has been charged with multiple drug-related offences, unauthorized possession of a weapon, and failing to comply with a release order. He was held in custody for a bail hearing.

The Ontario Fire Marshal is investigating potential charges or fines related to the extraction operation.