Two men were arrested Wednesday afternoon when a Saanich police officer pulled over a van stuffed with uncovered garbage bags filled with the remnants of a marijuana grow-op.
Around 12:30 p.m., Sept. 28, an officer waiting at Burnside and Tillicum roads smelled a strong odour of marijuana coming from a blue Dodge Caravan directly in front of him. He noticed the van was riding low in the back, as if overloaded.
The officer stopped the vehicle, described as emitting an "overwhelming" smell of marijuana. Looking into the rear of the van, he saw black garbage bags stacked to the roof inside.
A search of the bags revealed dirt and items from a dismantled grow-op.
The driver and passenger were arrested but, because no marijuana was recovered, charges are unlikely. The driver was carrying $3,000 when he was arrested.
Saanich police are holding the vehicle and the cash and have asked the B.C. Civil Forfeiture Office to seize both.
kslavin@saanichnews.com