10,000 cannabis plants seized during September search warrant.

An OPP cruiser is seen outside a vacant Midland factory that was home to a major grow-op in September. Andrew Philips/MidlandToday

NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE

On Sept. 27, 2020, members of the Southern Georgian Bay Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to an industrial building located at 16567 Highway 12 in the Town of Midland after receiving a call from a concerned citizen who observed suspicious activity with the belief that the complex was abandoned. Upon arriving, officers noticed signs of a significant cannabis grow operation and secured the premises.

On Sept. 28, 2020, the OPP executed a search warrant and entered the building which contained a professional, high-quality installation in the process of growing over 10,000 cannabis plants. It was evident that further mass production installations were to be made, however, it is not believed that a harvest of the plants had been completed or that any distribution had taken place. All the cannabis plants were removed from the premises and were destroyed after samples were taken. Equipment used to grow the plants and operate the installation was seized as proceeds of crime under provisions within the law.

Li Han Huang, 43 years of Scarborough, and Yuxie Zhenge, 41 years of Markham, face the following charge contrary to the Cannabis Act:

• Cultivate, propagate or harvest any cannabis plant that is not in their dwelling house

Both accused parties were released from police custody and will appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Midland on Feb. 11, 2021.