GROW OPERATIONS TAKE ROOT IN RURAL AREAS

Rural grow-ops are becoming more common place and RCMP are reminding
urban area residents to report any suspicious or criminal activity
taking place in their neighbourhoods.

A wind gust along Grand Oro Road last week, as police continued their
search of an expansive property used as a grow operation, left a waft
of pungent marijuana odour hanging in the air. It is just one example
in the past few months of the rural grow operations RCMP have busted.

The grow-op, near Twin Lakes, is where RCMP seized 4,860 marijuana
plants. This comes on the heels of the much-publicized outdoor grow-op
near Christina Lake where the owners allegedly used black bears to
guard plots containing between 1,100 and 1,200 plants.

"We are seeing these rural properties where these grow operations are
setting up. They tend to think in favour of the rural setup. They
think it permits them a little bit more cover, but eventually in our
investigations, in particular with the assistance of the communities
around where they see suspicious activity and report to the local
police services, we are getting pretty good success," said Cpl. Dan
Moskaluk.

Keremeos RCMP dismantled a grow-op on Highway 3A north of Olalla on
Wednesday.

Police credit the Lower Similkameen Indian Band and band members for
finding the outdoor grow operation that consisted of about 150
marijuana plants.

The two men arrested at the grow operation near Twin Lakes have been
released to appear in court at a later date to face possible
drug-related charges. While the first male gave himself up at one of
the three houses on the expansive property, a second man fled from
another house into a wooded area.

Officers found an automatic assault rifle with ammunition sitting by a
couch where the first male was arrested and decided to proceed with
caution and shut the operation down when darkness set in, knowing that
one suspect could still be in the area and possibly armed. Police
believe they found the man who fled the next day, hiding in a closet
in the same house the first man was arrested.

"Time and time again when we come to conduct these search warrants on
these grow operations these individuals, criminals, are arming
themselves for two purposes. The main purpose is to protect themselves
against grow rips, but when our officers encounter automatic weapons
of this nature with ammunition at its side, of course it increases the
safety risk to our members and to the community at large," said Moskaluk.

He added that in rural areas throughout the Okanagan, Kootenays and in
the Cariboo police are seeing properties being used for the illegal
activity. Just last weekend, tips from the public to Revelstoke RCMP
resulted in the dismantling of two outdoor marijuana grow operations
on Gorge Creek Forest Service Road near Malakwa. Officers were flown
by helicopter to a remote location where 866 mature plants were seized
along with a shotgun. The second operation was located south of
Revelstoke and 233 plants were seized.

Several things are attributed to the success RCMP have had, said
Moskaluk, including being focused on interrupting production points,
dismantling the grow-ops and stopping the transit of illegal substances.

"Time and time again RCMP traffic services come across contraband
being moved, smuggled, imported and exported on the highways. Our
traffic services units are highly trained investigators that know how
to complex investigations, and that is why you have seen the success
we have had over the past couple of years," said Moskaluk.