Police in Brantford, Ontario, say they have arrested 18 people and seized more than 80,000 cannabis plants and 5,000 pounds of dried cannabis in a raid at an industrial building on Wednesday, August 9. 

The raid of the illicit, large-scale grow operation is the result of an investigation launched in July by the Members of the Brantford Police Service Tactical Intelligence Generated Enforcement and Response Unit (TIGER) and the Ontario Provincial Police Provincial Joint Forces Cannabis Enforcement Team (PJFCET).

As a result of the investigation, a search warrant was obtained and executed at an industrial building located on Mohawk Street near Crandell Avenue on Wednesday, August 9, 2023. 

Police say the search warrant was executed with the assistance of the Brantford Police Service (BPS) Emergency Response Team (ERT), the OPP Provincial Joint Forces Cannabis Enforcement Team (PJFCET), Canada Border Services Agency, BPS High Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), BPS Criminal Intelligence Unit, and BPS uniformed officers. 

As a result of the search warrant, officers seized the following:

• 83,435 cannabis plants in various stages of growth, with an estimated value of $83,435,000 ($1,000/plant) 
• 5,147.8 pounds of dried cannabis with an estimated street value of $12,869,500 ($2,500 a pound)

Total estimated value: $96,304,500.

While executing the search warrant, officers also located and arrested eighteen people who they say appeared to be directly involved with and living within the illegal grow operation. These individuals each stand charged with unlawfully producing and/or cultivating cannabis without authorization, contrary to S.12(6)(a) of the Cannabis Act.

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