THOUSANDS OF PLANTS SEIZED IN SUMMER BUSTS

The Kootenay Boundary Regional Detachment of the RCMP was very active
during the summer, seizing thousands of marijuana plants. The
Regional Detachment General Investigation Section led an intensive
investigation into the outdoor marijuana grow operation industry in
the West Kootenay/Boundary.

Assisted by officers from throughout the Kootenay Boundary Regional
Detachment as well as the RCMP helicopter from Kelowna, the
investigative team seized 14,130 marijuana plants from 88 sites
throughout the region. "There were a number in the Grand
Forks/Boundary area," Inspector Nick Romanchuk said.

The RCMP estimates that these seizures prevented approximately 11,500
pounds (5,216 kg) of marijuana bud from entering the illegal market,
and that the street value of the seized marijuana if sold in
individual cigarette quantities would equate to approximately $77.5
million.

The majority of the marijuana was seized from Crown land. "Summer is
the growing season," Romanchuk said. "Doing our seizures at any other
time would be a waste of time. It puts the growers out of business
for that season anyway. They will have to wait until next year if they
want to grow any outdoors."

At one grow operation, three persons were apprehended with charges of
production of a controlled substance being recommended to federal
Crown counsel. Three other persons are facing charges of production
of a controlled substance after a search warrant was executed on
private property near Kaslo. Romanchuk said the restructuring of
police resources in the West Kootenay/Boundary under one command was
particularly helpful in co-coordinating both the investigation and the
raids themselves.