Pubdate: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 Source: Times & Transcript (Moncton, CN NK) Copyright: 2011 New Brunswick Publishing Company Contact: http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/onsite.php?page=contact#B Website: http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2660 Author: Craig Babstock, Times & Transcript Staff N.B. POLICE TARGET POT PLANTATIONS Late Summer, Early Fall Is Busy Time for Illegal Drug Trade Police officers will soon be patrolling the forests of New Brunswick, looking to dismantle marijuana grow-operations and disrupt the drug trade. This is an annual operation for the RCMP's J Division in New Brunswick, conducted every August and September. "Late summer and early fall is when outdoor grow-ops are maturing and they're ready to be harvested," says Const. Jullie Rogers-Marsh. While the criminals who planted the marijuana hope to harvest their crop and get the product into the drug trade, police want to beat them to it whenever possible. "Even if we only found one or two (grow-ops), at least we're able to eradicate those plants and keep them out of the drug trade," says Rogers-Marsh. Between tips from the public and searching the woods from the sky and the ground, the RCMP has done well over the past few years. Last October, the RCMP reported seizing more than 23,000 marijuana plants over the previous few months, with many of them connected to Operation Sabot, the name applied to the late summer/early fall crackdown. That was a 53 per cent increase over what was seized during that operation in 2009. In the past, Operation Sabot has seen the RCMP aided by the Canadian military. Police and army helicopters search for outdoor grow-ops from above and then radio to officers on the ground below when they spot one. Those officers move in and seize the plants, though arrests are seldom made because they rarely find people at the fields. Last year police said they were surprised by the number of tips received from the public regarding grow-ops and said public co-operation seems to be growing each year. Rogers-Marsh says the public's help is crucial to the success of the operation. "We rely heavily on information from the public," says the constable. Police have tried over the past few years to educate people on how to spot grow-ops, so she wonders if the effort is paying off in the form of tips from the community. While people are welcome to call any RCMP detachment or other police force to report a grow-op, they can also call Crime Stoppers to remain anonymous and possibly earn a cash reward for their information. Crime Stoppers and the RCMP's Coordinated Marijuana Enforcement Team are actively seeking those tips and sent out a public notice earlier this week encouraging people to report illegal grow-ops. Police say marijuana growers often plant on their own property, but they also often use Crown land in an attempt to avoid prosecution. The plants are usually grown in clumps in large areas and are sometimes surrounded by chicken wire to prevent damage from animals. Other vegetation is often used to camouflage the marijuana plants and a water supply is usually nearby. To get to and from the plants, growers will often use ATVs and walking trails. Unsuspecting people have been known to locate a marijuana grow-op simply by accident, or by recognizing the skunk-like odour that the plants produce. Anyone with information concerning an outdoor grow-op can call N.B. Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimenb.ca. If a caller's information leads to an arrest, they could qualify for a cash reward of up to $2,000. Rogers-Marsh cautions anyone who finds a grow-op not to enter it, because the pot producers may have taken precautions. "There could be dangerous traps set up to deter intruders," she says. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.