Pubdate: Mon, 27 Aug 2007
Source: North Thompson Star/Journal (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 The North Thompson Star/Journal
Contact:  http://www.starjournal.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1231
Author: Robert Mangelsdorf, Black Press

ANOTHER GROW OP BUSTED IN REGION

Timing Is Everything

RCMP Aim For Maximum Disruption

Clearwater and Barriere RCMP made a number of  large-scale marijuana 
busts last week, shutting down  dozens of outdoor grow sites and 
destroying millions of  dollars worth of the illegal drug.

The busts are part of a massive coordinated effort by  RCMP 
detachments in the interior to eradicate outdoor  marijuana grow 
operations in remote rural areas across  the RCMP's Southeast District.

Called Operation Epannikin, the effort has so far  yielded more than 
13,000 plants in the last two weeks,  and kept more than $10 million 
of the drug off the  streets.

Clearwater Cpl. Mike Savage said the operation is in  response to the 
increasing number of marijuana grow  sites popping up in remote, 
rural areas resulting from  increased enforcement in urban areas.

"Every year we have some of the best growing conditions  for 
marijuana and they take advantage of that," he  said.

Detachments in Clearwater, Barriere, Chase, Ashcroft,  Clinton, 
Lytton, Lillooet, Kamloops rural and Salmon  Arm are all 
participating in the operation.

The RCMP estimates the illegal drug trade in B.C. is a  $6 billion 
industry, putting it roughly on par with the  construction industry.

On Thursday, Clearwater and Barriere RCMP took down  several sites 
scattered along the mountainsides at the  northwest end of Adams Lake.

In all, more than 900 plants were destroyed, an amount  of marijuana 
equivalent to more than 150,000 marijuana  cigarettes.

Although virtually invisible from the ground, the sites  were easily 
spotted by an RCMP helicopter from the air.

"The marijuana plants have an almost fluorescent green  colour that 
really sticks out when you fly over it,"  said Savage.

"Especially when it's surrounded by all the red of the  dead pine trees."

The grow sites used a sophisticated fully-automated  system to grow 
the drug. Nearby creeks had been dammed,  leaving them completely 
dry, and irrigation lines  equipped with battery operated timers, 
filters and  Miracle-Gro feeders ran down the hillside to feed each 
individual plant.

"They pretty much just set it up and let it go," said  Barriere Cst. 
Evan Cadwallader.

"They don't have to come here to water [the plants] or anything."

Although kilometres apart, a similar set-up was used at  each site, 
leading the officers to suspect they were  all part of the same operation.

However, despite the many recent busts, there have been  no arrests made.

"It's frustrating, because the [outdoor] grow sites are  located in 
remote areas on Crown land, so it makes them  very hard to monitor," 
said Savage.

"Every year we take down probably 30 per cent of what's  up there, 
but with this coordinated effort its probably  around 60 per cent this year."

Savage said the timing of the busts is meant to hit the  operations 
late enough in the growing season to prevent  any replanting by the 
growers, but early enough that  the operations are not yet at the 
harvesting stage,  thus causing maximum disruption.

"For some of these guys that grow the stuff all year  round, we just 
shut down their whole business," said  Savage. "Now they're going to 
have to get a real job."

The confiscated marijuana was incinerated Thursday  afternoon at the 
Vavenby Canfor mill's beehive burner.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart