POT RAIDS ON THE ISLAND NET ONLY ONE ARREST

The aerial search for marijuana plantations has ended for the year,
but that doesn't mean pot growers can rest easy, say police.

RCMP Corporal Greg Cox said Vancouver Island police officers wrapped
up their nine-day air and land operation on Wednesday and reported a
mind-alteringly large bumper crop was seized.

Most of the 19,000 pot plants, he said, were found in the northern
part of Vancouver Island.

"In the local area, Lasqueti was visited, but most of the
concentrations were north of Campbell River and Sayward area," Cox
said. "There were little pockets across Vancouver Island, but most of
it was in the northern area. I would be guessing, but I would say
that's because it's less populated and more secluded."

Police, using helicopters from the Department of National Defence,
hit approximately 350 sites, pulling in an average of 2,000 plants per day.

"Some sites consisted of only a few hundred plants and some were a
few thousand. This is quite a sizable quantity of plants and we
believe these were destined for the streets of our community. I think
we made a sizeable impact."

Cox said there was only one arrest, despite the haul.

"There was one incident in the Campbell River area, where two people
were tending to their crop," he said. "There are charges in that incident."

Cox said he's elated with the result of the raids, but stressed the
remaining marijuana growers on Vancouver Island shouldn't think all
the heat is now off.

"There are still investigations ongoing," he said, noting police
officers across Vancouver Island remain committed to eradicating
illegal outdoor marijuana crops.