DOPEY MOVE, DUDLEY

$250Gs in pot stolen from red-faced RCMP

KELOWNA, B.C. -- Brazen thieves broke into a local RCMP compound and stole a
quarter-million dollars worth of marijuana seized in a drug raid earlier in
the day.

The stunning late-night theft of 250 pot plants from the detachment happened
two weeks ago, but was not revealed by red-faced Mounties.

"Obviously, embarrassed is one word you could use to describe how we feel,"
Kelowna RCMP Const. Garth Letcher said.

"Clearly, we didn't have the kind of security we should have had to prevent
this type of theft from occurring."

No one has been arrested in connection with the Aug. 9 theft at the downtown
police station.

Some of the stolen pot has been re-sold on city streets and the thieves are
being hailed as folklore heroes by those involved in Kelowna's drug trade.

"Imagine having the balls to go steal dope right from the cops -- that's
awesome!" said a man who'd heard of the audacious theft from drug dealers in
a local park.

The marijuana had been confiscated on the morning of the theft during a
police raid on a house.

As with all marijuana seizures, it was stored outside the police detachment
in a small open-air compound protected by two chain link fences. One fence
had razor wire at the top, but the other did not.

It appears the thieves jumped into the compound from the roof of the
adjacent Kelowna Community Theatre or from the police station.

Then they hoisted out five garbage bags filled with the crushed-up plants.

The drug compound cannot be seen by security cameras and it wasn't protected
by motion sensors or alarms.

The theft was discovered the next morning by officers who arrived at the
compound to take the marijuana away for destruction.

Police say each pot plant had a potential street value of up to $1,000.

The compound has been used to store marijuana overnight for years. Security
has now been improved at the compound, though police plan on storing
marijuana at a different location.