what happend to overgrow.com

This is the info High Times has on it....

With great sadness, HIGH TIMES must report that the Overgrow website has disappeared from the internet indefinitely, amid an investigation by Canadian law enforcement that led to the arrest of seven people, including Richard Hratch Baghdadlian, Overgrowâ??s owner/operator, who went by the name RC online and also ran Cannabisworld, Heavenâ??s Stairway Seeds and Eurohempâ??all now disappeared from the internet.

Prior to these developments, OG served tens of thousands of marijuana cultivators as a free, community-based clearinghouse dedicated to practical advice and political advocacy for the global marijuana community. The siteâ??s name is a shortening of this movementâ??s shared strategy of â??overgrowing the government.â?

Overgrow members frequently contributed to HIGH TIMES, including feature-length stories and a monthly column of content culled from their online discussion boards. As details continue to emerge in this case, readers are well-advised to avoid all listed websites and to check hightimes.com for updates on this breaking story.

MONTREAL, Feb. 28 /CNW Telbec/ - The members of the Marihuana Grow Operations Enforcement Team of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police concluded their first major operation when they uncovered a Montreal based criminal organization involved in the trafficking, importation and exportation of cannabis seeds, as well as in conspiring for the purpose of cannabis cultivation via the Internet. This operation was launched in November 2004 under the name "Courriel" and culminated with the seizure of 200,000 cannabis seeds and the arrest of seven persons.

Project "Courriel" revealed that Richard Hratch BAGHDADLIAN, 38, from Marsan Street in Montreal, and six other persons operated the Heaven's Stairway company. This company was on the web claiming to be the North American supplier for indoor and outdoor cannabis production.

The cybercompany Heaven's Stairway used the Internet sites hempqc.com, cannabisworld.com, overgrow.com, eurohemp.com, cannabisseeds.com, and cannabisbay.com. These sites were used to order cannabis seeds online and obtain information on cannabis cultivation. These Internet sites also suggested ways to outsmart the police.

Richard Hratch BAGHDADLIAN was the instigator, head and main beneficiary of the illicit company Heaven's Straiway. The other six accused acted as couriers and performed other duties for the company. They are Geoffrey CHAN, 33, Maria Cristina CIVITILLO, 32, Natalie BAGHDADLIAN, 40, Manuel Bento FERNANDES, 45, Christopher ALMOND, 38, and Teresa RODRIGUES, 39. They all live in Montreal except Christopher ALMOND who lives in Ville Saint-Laurent.

The organization processed approximately 30 orders of cannabis seeds a
day averaging $100 each. The seeds were sent to clients by regular mail.

The seven people are facing 49 charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Criminal Code of Canada. The offences were committed in Quebec, Canada, North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the world between March 12, 1998 and January 31, 2006.

Nine searches were carried out during the week of January 30, 2006 in order to gather evidence that criminal activities had been committed. The searches were conducted in Montreal and Laval, as well as in the residences of three of the accused, a business, three post office boxes, a vehicle and a safe-deposit box.

These searches led to the seizure of 200,000 cannabis seeds, more than $183,362 in US currencies and $14,000 in Canadian currencies, both in cash and postal money orders, three one-kilogram gold bricks, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, a Mazda RX8 and many purchase orders. Since the searches were conducted, 272 orders have been intercepted by the police.

The amount of seeds seized during the searches could have made it possible to operate approximately 500 cannabis greenhouses of 400 plants each, which represent 42 million joints sold on the street.

The seven accused are liable to 10 years' imprisonment. Since the possession of cannabis seeds is illegal under Schedule II of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, clients of the network could also receive a visit from the police.

It should be noted that Project "Courriel", a first in Canada, is the fruit of the work of the new Marihuana Grow Operations Enforcement Team. This new drug enforcement team is one of the seven teams established by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police across Canada in 2004 to combat the scourge of marihuana. The main objectives of these teams are to interdict drugs before they arrive in our communities and to target and destroy the infrastructure and the networks used by criminal organizations involved in marihuana production. These organizations constitute a threat to public safety and well-being.

For further information: Communications Office, (514) 939-8308

An Internet company that sold marijuana seeds has gone over like a lead zeppelin with the RCMP.

Although Montreal-based Heaven's Stairway has operated brazenly on the Internet since 1998 and is listed on Quebec's business registry, the RCMP announced yesterday they have shut down its operations, located in the basement of a duplex on Marsan St. in Cartierville.

The RCMP described the large-scale bust as the first of its kind in Canada.

The company's owner, Richard Baghdadlian, 38, and six other people have been charged with importing and trafficking in marijuana and conspiracy to do the same.

All the suspects have been released on bail. Baghdadlian's lawyer, Loris Cavaliere, said he has yet to see the evidence gathered in the case.

"It's the first time I've seen a case like this," Cavaliere said.

During the RCMP investigation, the company received 30 orders a day at an average price of $100 each, RCMP Sgt. Andre Potvin said. The company is believed to have purchased its seeds from dealers in British Columbia, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands.

Potvin said there is evidence the company sold seeds to customers all over North America and to several foreign countries. The RCMP carried out search warrants and seized more than 200,000 marijuana seeds, enough to supply 500 greenhouses with 400 plants.

The company received orders through its various websites. Customers paid for their seeds by mailing cash or money orders to post office boxes in Montreal.

Potvin said the RCMP had been aware of Heaven's Stairway for years but lacked the resources to pursue the company until a new drug-enforcement team was assembled in 2004.

Marc-Boris St. Maurice, president of the Marijuana Foundation, an organization that seeks to reform marijuana legislation, said the shutdown of Heaven's Stairway was the subject of much discussion in chat rooms and on marijuana-related websites. He said many customers are worried their purchases have left an electronic trace.

"There are about two or three dozen companies operating in Canada that sell seeds either by mail or in stores (including about 10 in Montreal.) They have been functioning pretty much with impunity and no police intervention," St. Maurice said.

"This court case is going to be very important with regards to seeds in Canada.

"The eyes of the international cannabis community are going to be on this very closely."

The RCMP raids and arrests come months after the United States had British Columbia resident Marc Emery arrested on an extradition request. Emery is charged in the U.S. with conspiring to distribute marijuana seeds and launder money.

Reached by phone yesterday, Emery said he was aware of the Heaven's Stairway case. He said he considers his case different because the Montreal company was also giving advice on how to run marijuana grow operations. By comparison, Emery has been very public while pushing for the regulated and licensed sale of marijuana.

"The irony is, if I'm sent to the U.S. and convicted, I'm going to be sent to prison for 30 years for something that is a political issue," Emery said.

"If (Baghdadlian and the co-accused) are convicted here in Canada, they'll do something like six months."

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