Abby News

Two men arrested in a Chilliwack opium poppy field in August have now been charged.

Tehal Singh Bath, 31, of Abbotsford and Mandeep Singh Dhaliwal, 29, of Mission appeared in Chilliwack provincial court on Tuesday to face charges.

Both have been charged with production of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. They are next scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 27 for an arraignment hearing.

The two were arrested on Aug. 23 after an investigation by RCMP uncovered an estimated 60,000 poppy plants that were being grown in a seven-acre field in Chilliwack.

The field is believed to be the largest opium crop ever located by police in Canada. The crop was estimated to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Investigators believed the opium was being grown to produce a substance known as doda, a powder which is often taken with tea or hot water to produce a quick high.

Police said other more potent drugs, such as heroin, can be refined from the plants.