Urban legend about '9111' leads to pot house
Canadian Press
Dec. 5, 2002 11:00 AM
SURREY, Canada- Police say a bizarre urban legend led them to a house filled with marijuana plants.
A woman accidentally called police early Tuesday morning because her son told her dialing an extra one after 911 would connect her with a taped message explaining whether police officers were tapping her phones.
The 60-year-old woman hung up as soon as she realized she had actually reached the police, however, officers, concerned there might be an emergency at the house, quickly showed up at her door.
Inside, police discovered "a reasonably sized marijuana growing operation," Const. Tim Shields said Wednesday.
Police arrested four people - the woman, a 61-year-old man, a 55-year-old man and a third man who had turned 60 that day.
"He had a large birthday party planned for that night with out-of-town guests," Shields said. "They started to show up at Surrey detachment, asking us to have him released so he could make it to his party."
Police released all four by 9 p.m. - just in time for the birthday party - on a promise to appear in court.
Shields said it may be an urban legend, but dialing 9111 won't help you figure out if your phones are tapped and only ties up lines meant to help people with real emergencies.
Urban legend about '9111' leads to pot house 
