N.B. POLICE TARGET POT PLANTATIONS

Late Summer, Early Fall Is Busy Time for Illegal Drug
Trade

Police officers will soon be patrolling the forests of New Brunswick,
looking to dismantle marijuana grow-operations and disrupt the drug
trade.

This is an annual operation for the RCMP's J Division in New
Brunswick, conducted every August and September.

"Late summer and early fall is when outdoor grow-ops are maturing and
they're ready to be harvested," says Const. Jullie
Rogers-Marsh.

While the criminals who planted the marijuana hope to harvest their
crop and get the product into the drug trade, police want to beat them
to it whenever possible.

"Even if we only found one or two (grow-ops), at least we're able to
eradicate those plants and keep them out of the drug trade," says
Rogers-Marsh.

Between tips from the public and searching the woods from the sky and
the ground, the RCMP has done well over the past few years. Last
October, the RCMP reported seizing more than 23,000 marijuana plants
over the previous few months, with many of them connected to Operation
Sabot, the name applied to the late summer/early fall crackdown. That
was a 53 per cent increase over what was seized during that operation
in 2009.

In the past, Operation Sabot has seen the RCMP aided by the Canadian
military. Police and army helicopters search for outdoor grow-ops from
above and then radio to officers on the ground below when they spot
one. Those officers move in and seize the plants, though arrests are
seldom made because they rarely find people at the fields.

Last year police said they were surprised by the number of tips
received from the public regarding grow-ops and said public
co-operation seems to be growing each year. Rogers-Marsh says the
public's help is crucial to the success of the operation.

"We rely heavily on information from the public," says the
constable.

Police have tried over the past few years to educate people on how to
spot grow-ops, so she wonders if the effort is paying off in the form
of tips from the community.

While people are welcome to call any RCMP detachment or other police
force to report a grow-op, they can also call Crime Stoppers to remain
anonymous and possibly earn a cash reward for their information. Crime
Stoppers and the RCMP's Coordinated Marijuana Enforcement Team are
actively seeking those tips and sent out a public notice earlier this
week encouraging people to report illegal grow-ops.

Police say marijuana growers often plant on their own property, but
they also often use Crown land in an attempt to avoid prosecution. The
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.

Unsuspecting people have been known to locate a marijuana grow-op
simply by accident, or by recognizing the skunk-like odour that the
plants produce.

Anyone with information concerning an outdoor grow-op can call N.B.
Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimenb.ca. If a
caller's information leads to an arrest, they could qualify for a cash
reward of up to $2,000.

Rogers-Marsh cautions anyone who finds a grow-op not to enter it,
because the pot producers may have taken precautions.

"There could be dangerous traps set up to deter intruders," she says.