OPP say they're cracking down on illegal grow operations

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have seized over $80 million dollars worth of cannabis from a greenhouse operation in Leamington Ont.

Officers from the provincial joint force cannabis enforcement team (PJFCET) attended a Mersea Road location on Wednesday to execute a Cannabis Act Search warrant.

According to police, over 75,000 cannabis plants and over 5,300 pounds of processed cannabis were seized.

"The proliferation of illegal marijuana grow operations, as evidenced by this recent significant seizure in Leamington, demonstrates the resolve by criminal enterprise groups to profit from illegal activity," said Inspector Glenn Miller, OPP  detachment commander in Essex.

"To those individuals or groups who continue to profit from these illegal grow operations, the OPP will relentlessly pursue your interests, seize your property and introduce you into the criminal justice system."

Police said 10 people are now facing a number of charges under the Cannabis Act, including possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling.

Five of the accused are from the Greater Toronto Area, while five are listed by OPP as having no fixed address. 

The accused individuals will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Leamington at a later date, according to police.

The investigation is ongoing.