UCLUELET RCMP BUST THREE MORE GROW-OP SITES

Police have seized a total of 900 plants from yesterday-an estimated
1,000 pounds of finished product, or 1.6 million 'joints'

A local RCMP detachment hit three more outdoor marijuana grow
operation sites yesterday, bringing the total sites busted up to 12.

Ucluelet RCMP have been working on the major operation that has
resulted in the destruction of 900 fully matured plants - some 1.6
million 'joints' - since last Wednesday, Sept. 16.

Cst. Ryan Warren said each of the 900 fully matured marijuana plants
police destroyed from Sept. 16 to 21 could have produced up to two
pounds of finished product each, an estimated 1,000 lbs. of finished
product, worth about $2 million.

Most of the sites were well hidden about 50 metres off main logging
roads in the area, according to Warren.

Four of the sites were big enough for police to assume the plant was
being produced to be trafficked, Warren said.

"All those plants were definitely not for local consumption."

The smaller sites were more likely intended for local sale or for personal use.

"The plant sizes were as large as six feet tall and were clustered in
groups from just a few per site to 250 on a site," Warren explained.
"The plants were placed in soil filled perforated garbage bags which
were placed in swamp lands, allowing [them] to be continuously watered."

The operations were noticed by routine air monitoring, but Warren
said this is the first time RCMP in the area have made a seizure of
this magnitude.

Police have forwarded charges for production of a controlled
substance against one person who was located at one of the sites with
a vehicle containing freshly harvested plants.