Sunshine Coast RCMP are putting out a call for help after a violent home invasion on Monday night (Jan. 10).
According to RCMP, three suspects armed with firearms claiming to be police, entered a Roberts Creek home, tied up the family members including a school-aged girl and demanded information about a marijuana grow-op on the property.
RCMP say there was no grow-op on the property and when the suspects learned this, they threatened the family if they contacted police and fled.
Police say the suspects had no identification or uniforms and there is no reason to believe they were associated with any police unit.
This is the fourth similar incident on the Coast in the last six months -three of which involved suspects claiming to be police. In all four cases, the suspects were targeting theft of drugs.
RCMP estimate similar "grow rips" happen to both illegal and legal grow ops twice as often as are reported to police.
"The problem with grow ops is, legal or illegal, there's a certain element of the population that's looking at that as an easy source of cash," said Sgt. Russ Howard. "Anybody that comes in with firearms, breaks into a house and holds people at gunpoint, they are serious and it's just a matter of time until someone gets hurt or killed."
Anyone with information on the home invasion or any other grow op is asked to call Sunshine Coast RCMP Serious Crime Unit at 604-885-2266 or contact Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
