ILLEGAL CROPS SMOKED OUT

Regional drug squad officers gave local marijuana growers a harvest
downer yesterday after a pair of raids.

In two separate strikes against the booming Ottawa Valley reefer
business, police seized plants worth more than $1.7 million -- the
bounty of a three-month probe.

The first raid was executed on property on Frank Kenny Rd. in
Cumberland Twp. where detectives discovered a field of marijuana
plants they say had a street value of more than $1 million.

Charged with a number of drug-related offences, including production
of a controlled substance, is Hoosein Moodley, 26, of Ottawa.

On Thursday, acting on a farmer's tip, detectives discovered a large
number of marijuana plants worth $700,000 in the middle of a
cornfield. Some of the plants were three metres high.

Police are still attempting to identify the persons responsible for
planting the pot.

Insp. Ian Davidson of the regional police said in both cases property
owners were unaware pot was growing on their land.

"These were extremely valuable crops, and it's extremely unusual to
seize two large crops back to back," he said.

In recent years, marijuana cultivation has exploded in the Ottawa
Valley.

"It's more prevalent for a number of reasons," Davidson said. "The
main things are that the overhead is low and there's a very high rate
of return."

He said police occasionally do flyovers looking for marijuana crops.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry