Police bust St. Vital grow op

Police swooped in on a south end neighborhood Tuesday morning, searching for marijuana.

And they found plenty of it, eight bags of plants to be exact, growing in a bungalow on a St. Vital street.

An Asian couple in their 40’s is now in custody.

"They just yelled “˜Winnipeg Police search warrant’," said a neighbor who didn’t want his name used. "They got into the house… I mean you could smell it right away."

Police wouldn’t say much Tuesday, but a source tells Global News between 500 to 600 pot plants were recovered – an estimated street value of about $600,000.

Members also seized more than 25 heating lamps, bulbs and electrical panels. Manitoba Hydro is now investigating if there was any theft of hydro.

Global News learned the grow op was in the basement and had been there for at least two years. The couple did not live in the home but were often seen coming and going.

"Everyone in the neighborhood figured something was going on,” said the unidentified neighbor. “But, you know, we weren’t too sure. Maybe they were just quiet people.”

Neighbors say for the last several months, they noticed what they thought were undercover officers on their street. Then around 9 o’clock Tuesday morning, officers moved in, arresting a man and a woman at the home.

"Probably about eight cop cars showed up," said the neighbor. "This white van over here, a bunch of guys jumped out of there and they arrested the lady right away."

There have been other grow ops found in pricey homes in Winnipeg’s south end. In 2008, officers found more than a million dollars worth of pot in a house in Royalwood.

"It’s a pretty nice neighborhood," said Debbie Cairns, who has lived in the neighborhood for 10 years. "You don’t expect it."

Police are expected to release more information Wednesday.