POLICE SEIZE DOPE CROPS

CANNABIS crops with a street value of up to $5 million have been seized in
police raids on drug havens in northern NSW.

Detectives from Lismore, Ballina, Byron Bay and Tweed Heads swooped on the
properties throughout the Northern Rivers between Monday and Friday last
week in an on-going bid to cripple the area's drug networks.

Code-named Operation Maru, the raids centred on 30 properties in Nimbin,
Murwillumbah and Mullumbimby.

Northern Rivers police inspector Mal Turner said the operation had netted
2444 cannabis plants in various states of maturity.

He estimated the street value to be $5 million.

The raids were part of a campaign in the area designed to wipe out its
reputation as a haven for drug growers and dealers.

There were similar raids last year after which the price of cannabis in
Nimbin increased by up to 70%.

At one stage, dealers who openly sold the drug on the streets complained
they were being forced to charge more for a grain of cannabis than gold.

Checked-by: Joel W. Johnson