HELICOPTER KEY TO BUSTING SEVERAL MARIJUANA GROW-OPS

Total Of 1,122 Plants Seized

SYDNEY - Drug squad officers in an RCMP helicopter were flying over
Cape Breton this week in an operation aimed at nipping marijuana
grow-ops in the bud.

The RCMP officers found several grow-ops where 1,122 plants were seized.

Const. Kal George said the aim of the marijuana eradication program
is to get rid of the illegal drug at source before it hits the
street. There are probably many other grow-ops in the Cape Breton
Regional Municipality, he said.

"That's probably not even half of what is out there," he said. "It's
such a big area to cover.

"There is a pretty big market for marijuana everywhere."

Drug squad officers are still doing investigations of the drugs
seized that may result in charges, he said.

Some of the marijuana plants were found on more remote land but
others were in backyards in suburban areas, he said, while refusing
to identify any of the exact locations.

George said the drug squad was following up intelligence and reports
to Crime Stoppers as well as conducting a general surveillance of
likely areas of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

Marijuana grow operations are typically located near a water supply, he noted.

"We search in those areas . . . good growing areas."

The 1,122 marijuana plants have been stored at the RCMP drug section
headquarters in Reserve to be destroyed later.

The average marijuana plant is probably worth about $1,000, he said.