Toronto police went to the 13-storey highrise at 2600 Jane St with warrants for five apartments and ended up raiding 22 units across nine floors of the 117-unit building, finding about 6,000 marijuana plants worth more than $6 million and 30 pounds (about 13.6 kg) of dried cannabis worth about $45,000.[1][2] Initial reports spoke of two arrests, and by Friday three men faced charges: building superintendent Daniel Wallace, Tat Thang Nguyen and Dinh Pham.[1][3] Police said they expected to make more arrests.[1]
Detectives called it one of the largest grow operations in Toronto’s history, an extremely lucrative business growing high-quality marijuana under 1,000-watt bulbs with heavy wiring, ventilation to hide the smell and hoses hooked to shower heads for watering.[1] Investigators said toxic fertilizer drained through kitchen sinks into the sewers, and mould and moisture damage left the apartments unlivable and raised health concerns for the rest of the building.[1][2]
Aftermath for tenants
About 200 residents attended a Saturday meeting organised by city councillor Giorgio Mammoliti to ask about the health risks, after a mould inspector who saw police videotape of the grow-ops described walls with visible mould growth up to five feet high.[2] Clean-up was estimated at $250,000 to $500,000, and Mammoliti pressed the management company to refund part of the tenants’ rent.[2] Toronto Public Health told residents not to panic, saying sensitivity to mould varies by person, while acknowledging hallways and distant units could be affected by water leaks and airborne particles.[2]
