Pubdate: Wed, 07 Sep 2005
Source: Campbell River Mirror (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Campbell River Mirror
Contact:  http://www.campbellrivermirror.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1380
Author: Paul Rudan
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

CHOPPERS SCOOP POT PLANTS

No, those weren't American military choppers invading Cortes
Island.

However, there was a Canadian Military Griffin chopper that was used
recently during a joint-operation to eradicate outdoor marijuana crops.

"Over the last week, a dark green military-looking helicopter, with no
distinguishable markings, has been flying grid patterns and hovering
over much of southern Cortes and Marina Island," wrote Bram Rossman in
a Aug. 29 e-mail to the Mirror. "Yesterday the helicopter was
long-lining a sling which was being filled and then emptied a short
distance away as it flew in the vicinity of...Hague Lake and Cortes
Bay."

Rossman was visiting family on Cortes when he saw the chopper crew on
the hunt for illegal outdoor pot plants. According to Const. Beth
Blackburn of Nanaimo RCMP, this year's effort netted approximately
same number of plants as last year.

"We've done well. We got well over 10,000 plants from various areas of
Vancouver Island and the outer islands," she said Tuesday.

The annual, late-summer, marijuana eradication operation is part of an
ongoing agreement which sees the police team-up with the military to
seek out hidden "gardens."

"We use it like a taxi service to get into difficult areas," said
Const. Blackburn.

The Griffin, from CFB Edmonton, was based at CFB Comox during the
week-long operation, and had some people feeling uneasy.

"Anyway, it's safe to say a number of people on the island are pretty
nervous about this! People here seem to think it's a U.S. helicopter,"
wrote Rossman.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin