A 911 hang-up call has led to the discovery of a marijuana grow operation at a northern Alberta home, a drug possession charge against a woman at that location and an arrest warrant for her common-law partner.
On Tuesday morning, RCMP responded to a 911 hang-up call at a rural residence south of Athabasca. Mounties said a 32-year-old woman approached them and said her young child was playing with the phone and accidentally called 911.
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Police said the woman then admitted a having been in a physical fight with her 35-year-old common-law husband, who she said was no longer at the home. Police said the man’s 15-year-old son, 21-year-old friend and five-year-old daughter were inside the home.
Police said they searched the home to make sure it was safe, and discovered the grow-op in the process. RCMP said they found a large quantity of marijuana in bud form drying in a room in the basement, and the makings of a grow-op being completed in the garage. Police also found several guns, including a prohibited weapon.
Police said they found nearly 30 pounds of marijuana at the home. According to Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams, the average street value of marijuana in Alberta is $10 a gram, meaning Tuesday’s seizure was worth over $134,800.
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The woman was arrested for possession for the purpose of trafficking and released later that day. She is scheduled to appear in court in Athabasca on June 26.
Police said the man, who is under orders not to possess firearms, has not yet been found and a warrant is out for his arrest.
— With files from The Canadian Press