RCMP TARGETING DRUG TRAFFICKERS

Warm Weather Draws Officials' Attention To Locating Local Grow-Ops

New Brunswick Crime Stoppers is hoping to score some weed.

This is the time of year when the weather gets nice and outdoor
marijuana grow-ops pop up in wooded areas all over the province.
Crime Stoppers is asking the public to keep their eyes open for
suspicious activity in the woods and report it to police.

Anyone who spots a grow-op is asked to call Crime Stoppers at
1-800-222-TIPS (8477) and could qualify for a cash reward up to $2,000.

"Crime Stoppers plays a key role in helping us successfully target
criminals and reminds people of the importance of caring for the
community and being engaged," says RCMP Const. Chantal Farrah, adding
it's also the best way to pass on information to police without
having to provide your name.

Farrah says police get calls about outdoor grow-ops this time of year
because people are out walking in the woods or riding ATVs, so they
are more likely to come across illegal marijuana fields. They can be
easy to spot if a person knows what to look for.

While some marijuana growers plant it on their own property, many use
Crown land in an attempt to avoid prosecution, because it's harder to
trace the plants back to an individual. Marijuana plants are usually
grown in clumps in large areas and are sometimes surrounded by
chicken wire to prevent damage from animals.

Other vegetation is often used to camouflage the marijuana plants and
a water supply is usually nearby. To get to and from the plants,
growers will often use ATVs and walking trails.

Police say unsuspecting people have located grow-ops in the past by
recognizing the skunk-like odour that marijuana plants produce.

Farrah cautions that if people suspect they've stumbled onto a
grow-op, they should never investigate themselves. These criminal
operations are most often tied to organized crime and traps are
commonly set to protect the plants.

"They don't want anyone disrupting their activity, so they set up
booby traps so people don't get close," says the constable.

Farrah says people who produce marijuana on a large scale are often
linked to other crimes, such as firearms trafficking and other parts
of the drug trade. The profits from marijuana sales are what fund
these other criminal activities, which is why police are so eager to
break-up these grow-ops.

Police are also interested in any information the public might have
on indoor grow-ops. By mid-March, RCMP in New Brunswick had already
disrupted a half-dozen large-scale indoor grow-ops and well over 100
smaller scale grow-ops.

Many of the seizures also involved other illegal drugs, contraband
tobacco or illegal firearms.

Farrah says numbers are up slightly over the same time period in 2009.

"The increase in seizures doesn't necessarily mean that the market
for marijuana is getting bigger," she says. "Rather, it reflects the
number of tips we've been getting from the public and the high
priority the RCMP places on keeping illegal drugs out of our communities."

Indoor grow-ops can be hazardous to homes and businesses in the
surrounding area. Depending on the scale of the operation, dangers
can range from fire and toxic chemical exposure to the potential for violence.

Buildings housing indoor grow-ops can be recognized by several
characteristics, including residents being home for only short
periods of time, people accessing the residence only through the
garage and unusual visitor behaviour ranging from no visitors to
frequent visitors for short periods.

Windows are often covered with dark plastic or newspaper,
condensation forms on windows due to high humidity levels inside and
a skunk-like odour can occasionally be detected outside.