COPS SEIZE 14,000 POT PLANTS

Summer Busts Take Down 11,500 Pounds of Marijuana

Looking at organized crime from a regional perspective has resulted in
thousands of marijuana plants seized this year, greatly minimizing
negative impacts on the community, according to RCMP.

The Kootenay Boundary Regional detachment's investigation into the
outdoor marijuana grow industry in the region resulted in 14,130
plants seized from 88 sites this summer.

"Based on a conservative estimate, it is believed that these seizures
prevented approximately 11,500 pounds of marijuana bud from entering
the illegal market," said RCMP Insp. Nick Romanchuk in a press release.

"This amount of marijuana would produce approximately 15.5 million
marijuana cigarettes."

Based on the current wholesale price of marijuana bud in the West
Kootenay, Romanchuk said the seized marijuana ranged in value from
$14.9 million to $36.7 million. If sold in individual marijuana
cigarettes, this would translate into a street value of $77.5 million.

"It is well known that the profits from the illicit marijuana industry
fuel the activities of organized criminal groups that bring untold
harm, pain and suffering to our communities," said Romanchuk,
indicating that busting these grow-ops can reduce negative outcomes.

He believes the formation of the regional group, which looks after
Nakusp south to the U.S. border and from Midway east to Salmo, has
better kept a cap on organized crime.

"The regionalization of policing services in the West Kootenay
boundary have allowed us to utilize our resources more effectively to
target organized criminal activity. It is no secret that criminal
activity does not restrict itself to municipal boundaries or electoral
areas. While a criminal group may reside in one location, the effects
of that group's activities will have a far reaching impact on
surrounding communities."

The majority of these grow operations were found on Crown
land.

"In one instance, three people were apprehended in an outdoor
marijuana grow operation with charges of production of a controlled
substance being recommended to federal Crown counsel," said Romanchuk.
"In another instance, three people are facing charges of production
of a controlled substance after a search warrant was executed on
private property near Kaslo."