DOPE GROWING BOOM WORRIES POLICE CHIEF

Wanganui's police chief is concerned about increasing cannabis
cultivation in the district and the fact that more people are getting
involved in this illegal activity.

Police have released details of a four-day district-wide operation
earlier this year, which led to a dozen arrests and the recovery and
destruction of about 2800 cannabis plants.

While Wanganui Police said while the operation - dubbed Operation
Kristy - had made a serious dent in the drug trade, cannabis
cultivation was still a problem in the region.

Inspector Duncan MacLeod, Wanganui Police area commander, said it was
obvious the quantity recovered this year was up on recent years.

"That was partially due to the ideal growing conditions but also
because more and more people are getting involved in this illegal
activity," Mr MacLeod told the Chronicle. He said cannabis cultivation
was certainly a problem in the area.

"The number of plants we have pulled up this year is significantly up
on previous years and that indicates that it is a problem."

Mr MacLeod said the implication of gang involvement in drug
cultivation was another worrying trend.

"We've known for some time that the gangs are certainly well behind a
lot of the offending in our community and this is just one aspect of
it. And it's something we're trying to police to the best of our
ability," he said.

Constable Dave Kirk, Central Region cannabis spokesman, has been
involved in the cannabis recovery operations for 14 years, the last
four as co-ordinator of these operations.

He said several successful search warrants were executed at indoor and
urban locations, but rural locations still dominated the seizures.

In February a 25-strong police team took part in a combined ground and
aerial recovery that covered the city, the Whanganui River, Marton and
Waverley areas.

RNZAF Iroquois helicopters were used during the four-day
operation.

Constable Kirk said 300 plants were pulled from a single rural plot
where a large-scale growing operation was uncovered.

"A further 300 plants were unearthed by the ground force team during
one of a number of search warrants executed in Wanganui city and
outlying areas," he said.

He said with cannabis usually planted between September and October
the police focus turned to gathering intelligence about local drug
growing and use.

As a result other warrants were executed and arrests made outside of
the four-day recovery operation and from November 1 to the end of
March, 94 people were arrested for drug-related offences. Among those
arrested were a number of local gang members.

The recovery operation has been running for a number of
years.

Constable Kirk said once police had information on the growers and
locations the recovery phase started.

"We zero in on the plots, winching officers down from the Iroquois to
yank plants from the ground. The aim is to track plots back to the
growers and eradicate as many plants as possible.

"The bottom line is that we don't want drugs on the streets. Even if
we can't get the offender, pulling the plants will have a significant
impact," he said.

"We do upset people pulling their crops out year after year and
inevitably that will chase a lot of people inside. But this year's
operation shows that even that approach doesn't stop us finding their
plants and holding people accountable," Constable Kirk said.

Mr MacLeod urged anyone with any information about suspicious
behaviour to contact the police.

"It doesn't matter when it's occurring, but if they see an unknown
person trundling past their gate out in the country and they're not
familiar to them we'd be interested in getting a description of their
vehicle and registration number at least.

"We rely on the goodwill and civic mindedness of the public to provide
us with information so we can keep on top of this problem.

"The offences for cultivating on this scale are far more serious than
mere possession of cannabis," Mr MacLeod said.