Pubdate: Wed, 07 Sep 2005
Source: Independent, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 Conolly Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.eastnorthumberland.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1596
Author: John Chambers
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

HAVELOCK BUST NETS $14M OF POT

Grow Ops Are On The Rise, But No More So Here Than Elsewhere In
Canada

Members of the Kawartha Combined Forces Drug Unit continue to uncover
multi-million dollar marijuana grow operations throughout the region
as part of their annual fall eradication program.

Last week, officers uncovered roughly 14,000 plants near Havelock with
an estimated street value of $14 million.

OPP Detective Constable Neil Brown said the plants were about two
weeks away from reaching maturity.

"They were approximately three feet tall, so they were probably a
couple of weeks away from being on the street," Mr. Brown said. "We
figure mature plants are worth about $1,000 each, so this grow op was
worth $14 million."

Like many of the OPP's success stories, information from the public is
vital in locating the grow ops, whether through calls to local OPP
detachments or to CrimeStoppers. The information gathered through
various outlets determines the success in discovering the grow ops
each year and preventing the drugs from reaching the consumer.

"Police received information through the public's assistance and tips
received through CrimeStoppers are invaluable," Det.-Const. Brown said.

Grow ops on the rise everywhere

As the end of summer gives way to September and early October, the
maturing plants are much easier to spot and Det.-Const. Brown says
their size makes it easier for outdoor grow operations to be discovered.

"This time of year, they are easily found because the plants are
bigger," he said.

Det.-Const. Brown says the OPP has responded to about ten "good size"
grow operations over the last couple of weeks, three of which were
located in Northumberland County.

"The largest grow op in Northumberland County was about 4,200 plants
with an estimated street value of about $4.2 million near
Campbellford."

One arrest was made in the Campbellford-area grow op. Det.-Const.
Brown says the investigation is continuing into the Havelock-area
seizure last week and charges are pending.

A veteran drug unit officer, Det.-Const. Brown says the prevalence of
marijuana grow operations has been steadily increasing for the past
few years, but added the problem isn't any worse locally than anywhere
else.

"It is increasing throughout Ontario," he said. "It started out in
British Columbia and it has slowly been moving this way.

"It is increasing, but (Northumberland) isn't as bad as other areas,"
he added.

Of the two recent grow ops discovered near Campbellford, both were
farms that Det.-Const. Brown says were purchased with the specific
intent of converting into full-fledged grow ops.

"We get a lot of grow ops in corn fields," he said. "(But), the two in
Campbellford were farms that were bought specifically for the purpose
of growing marijuana.

"The ones who are buying farms for these purposes are mostly from
larger urban centres like Toronto or Brampton, Markham and those areas
- - those would be the larger more advanced ones," he added.

As in the case of the recent Havelock-area grow operation, Det.-Const.
Brown says the approximate 14,000 plants were growing in a farmer's
field on a property purchased specifically for the grow op.

The Kawartha Combined Forces Drug Unit covers a tremendous geographic
area from Highway 12 in Whitby north to Orillia, southeast to Brighton
and north through Campbell-ford all the way to the southern boundary
of Algonquin Park. In recent years, the Unit has gone from seizing
54,000 marijuana plants a couple of years ago to more than 100,000
annually.

Det.-Const. Brown says this year is equally as busy.

"We are getting a lot of tips and information from the public and we
are following up on all of them," he said. "We are uncovering grow ops
almost daily."
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin