-from canada.com-

Police have seized opium poppies capable of producing heroin from a Calgary home in what Canadian authorities are calling an extremely rare bust.

Investigators found 1,500 plants with an estimated value of up to $45,000 in a house in the city’s northeast on Thursday.

It’s not just rare in Calgary - it’s rare nationwide, said RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Sylvie Tremblay. “We’ve never heard of such a seizure before,” she said yesterday.

Because of the narcotics it can yield, opium poppies themselves are a controlled substance in Canada.

Gurdev Samra, 62, of Calgary has been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and production of opium poppies.