Ontario Provincial Police say a dozen people from Ontario and Quebec have been charged six years after a massive marijuana grow-op was uncovered in Barrie.
Police told a news conference Thursday they rounded up the 12 suspects Wednesday and seized property and vehicles worth more than $7.5 million under proceeds-of-crime legislation.
The property includes the former brewery building, another property in Elliot Lake, Ont., three vehicles and cash.
The suspects, most due in court Friday, are charged with drug and criminal enterprise offences.
Police say the investigation that led to the new arrests began 16 months ago.
“The focus of the ongoing investigation was to identify and bring to justice the operating minds of this criminal enterprise,” Det.-Insp. Andy Karski said.
Officers swarmed a former Molson brewery in Barrie in January 2004 and seized marijuana plants with a street value pegged at millions of dollars.
At the time, police called it the largest marijuana grow operation to be uncovered in Canada.
