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Workplace accident near Kaslo leads police to grow-op bust

RCMP seized approximately 11,000 cannabis plants
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Kaslo RCMP said about 11,000 cannabis plants have been seized after police responded to a workplace injury. File photo

An investigation of a workplace injury led to RCMP to discover a large grow-op north of Kaslo last week.

Police responded to a report of a 46-year-old man having fallen after the boom crane he was in collapsed on a property in Meadow Creek on Aug. 26.

In a statement issued Tuesday, RCMP said officers found evidence that workers on the property at 196 Cooper Creek Road had been tampering with live BC Hydro wires.

A search warrant also found approximately 11,000 cannabis plants on the property, all of which were seized by RCMP. Police said multiple legal licences to grow cannabis were associated with the property’s address, but “the legal allowance was significantly below the amount located and seized.”

Police did not say if any arrests were made or what the status of the injured man was. However, charges are being considered under the Criminal Code and Cannabis Act.

“This has been a very labour intensive investigation,” RCMP said, noting officers from Nelson, Castlegar, Trail, and Sparwood helped.

A spokesperson for Worksafe BC said an investigation into the cause of the accident was also underway.