Sixteen people from the Lower Mainland are facing charges after another illegal cannabis grow operation was dismantled near Merritt yesterday, Nov. 19.

Cpl. Derrick Francis says police searched a commercial building on a rural property and found over 800 cannabis plants inside at various stages of growth.

“It was an investigation that had been going on for some time. We had complaints from the public of the strong odour of marijuana out in the area where the property is,” he told NL News. “Even at highway speeds people were smelling it. So we launched an investigation and we were issued a search warrant under the Cannabis Act.”

All sixteen people were on site, and those people have been released with a court date pending.

“This number of cannabis plants would equate to one cannabis cigarette for every person living in the community of Kelowna. This operation would produce that amount at least three times per year,” he added, noting the plants were destroyed today and most of the equipment inside was seized.

“This operation would produce that amount at least three times per year,” he said. “The impact of that amount of cannabis not ending up on the streets of our community or any other community is immeasurable.”

Anyone with information about this grow op is asked to call the Merritt RCMP, with police noting that money earned on operations like this is seldom reported to the authorities.

“I, and all the officers from the Merritt RCMP are committed to identifying and bringing to justice those who are responsible for all facets of drug trafficking in our community,” Merritt detachment commander Staff Sgt. Major Steph Drouin said, in a statement.

“From those illegally cultivating large scale cannabis operations, to the street level dial-a-dopers, no one will be overlooked in our enforcement and disruption efforts.”

This bust comes after over 100,000 cannabis plants were destroyed at a large, illegal cannabis grow operation off of Highway 8 on Oct. 30.